Thomas King

I am an MSc (Res) student working under the supervision of Dr. Mina Fazel (Dep. Of Psychiatry) and Professor Harry Daniels (Dep. Of Education).

My main research interest is in child and adolescent mental health. More specifically, I am interested in the provision of mental health education and support to young people in schools, which are increasingly seen as key platforms for early intervention. ‘Peer support’, where students support each other with their mental health, is an emerging concept within the school context but there has been little solid evaluation of these types of intervention. I am currently conducting a systematic review to gather and synthesise the available evidence on their effect on mental health outcomes. A second part of my project will involve going into local schools to pilot and evaluate an innovative, computer-based training tool for prospective peer mentors.

I am also a qualified mental health nurse and worked on an acute assessment ward for one year prior to beginning my Master’s.