Mental Health
Bridging Divides: Working with Young People to Coproduce a Better Understanding of Gender Inequalities in Youth Mental Health Gemma Knowles* Gemma Knowles Knowles Knowles Knowles Knowles Knowles Knowles Knowles Knowles Knowles Knowles Knowles Knowles Knowles Knowles Knowles Knowles Knowles Knowles Knowles Knowles Knowles King’s College London
This presentation introduces Bridging Divides, a new five year research programme funded by the Wellcome Trust that investigates the causes of gender inequalities in youth mental health in London and Tokyo. Although teenage girls consistently report higher rates of depression and anxiety than boys, the mechanisms underlying this ‘gender gap’ – and whether it is preventable – remain poorly understood.
Bridging Divides is grounded in meaningful youth involvement at every stage. Guided by young people’s priorities, the programme asks a central question: in a world free of sexism, misogyny, and gender inequality (SMGI), would gender differences in youth mental health exist?
To address this, Bridging Divides integrates secondary data analysis with several novel data generation work packages:
- A new longitudinal cohort study of thousands of young people in London and Tokyo, completing annual questionnaires to understand the extent, nature, and mental health impacts of SMGI over time.
- A nested qualitative study exploring how adolescents from diverse backgrounds experience SMGI in their daily lives.
- The development of a youth informed measure of SMGI for 11-18 year olds.
- An intensive longitudinal (or ‘digital diary’) study capturing daily and momentary data to examine how ‘everyday’ SMGI interacts with puberty, periods, and the menstrual cycle to shape mental health.
The presentation will provide an overview of the programme and highlight emerging insights from the ongoing pilot phase (Dec 2025-Feb 2026), which has already recruited around 800 participants in London. Full pilot results are expected by April/May 2026, offering a timely opportunity for conference attendees to engage with and critically shape the project. We warmly invite critical, multidisciplinary perspectives to shape the main phase.