News

Posted on 07/01/25

In August 2024, the Co-SPACE team spent eight days visiting academic collaborators in Japan to share study findings, work together in person, and strengthen existing and build new relationships with

Posted on 18/12/23

In December 2023, the Co-SPACE team held a successful five-day international consortium meeting (https://www.lorentzcenter.nl/covid-19-supporting-parents-adolescents-and-children-during-epidemics-co-space-international-consortium-meeting.html) at the Lorentz Center in Leiden, the Netherlands. The workshop was attended by international collaborators from

Posted on 20/10/23

The Co-SPACE team are looking forward to a five day workshop with our international collaborators at the Lorentz Center in Leiden, the Netherlands where we will share global study findings,

Posted on 11/08/23

Professor Cathy Creswell and Dr Polly Waite were interviewed by Professor Belinda Lennox for the Futuremakers Podcast from the University of Oxford, where our academics debate key issues for the

Posted on 11/08/23

Dr Simona Skripkauskaite was interviewed by Jo Carlowe for the Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health (ACAMH) podcast series. This episode covers the findings from the Co-SPACE and CO-SPYCE

Posted on 10/03/23

The Co-SPACE project has been featured in the covering page for Parental and Maternal Mental Health at University of Oxford. It was featured in the section under research of parental

Posted on 10/03/23

The Co-SPACE project has been featured in the covering page for Brain and Mental Health from Infancy to Adolescence at University of Oxford. It was featured in the section under

Posted on 10/03/23

Co-SPACE’s latest report, Report 13, has been featured in NIHR news and features. The report outlines the changes in child mental health and parental financial stress 30 months after the

Posted on 10/03/23

Professor Cathy Creswell, ARC OxTV Theme lead, Professor of Developmental Clinical Psychology at University of Oxford, has been elected a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences. Professor Creswell leads

Posted on 10/03/23

Co-SPACE core team member, Dr Simona Skripkauskaite was interviewed by leading academic media Faculti to discuss the Co-SPACE study and highlighted the Lancet paper.  Dr Simona Skripkauskaite also introduced Co-SPACE’s

Posted on 06/03/23

Professor Cathy Creswell published a editorial perspective piece on the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry which highlights the need for rapid responses to understand and address children and young

Posted on 06/03/23

Dr Polly Waite and Dphil student Amy McCall were interviewed by Olivia Gorvett for the CAHMS Digital podcast series and talked about TOPIC group’s research including Co-SPACE project. Both Polly

Posted on 06/03/23

Professor Cathy Creswell was interviewed by science writer and broadcaster Georgina Ferry , as part of the Collecting COVID: Oral Histories podcast series, which captures the University of Oxford’s research

Posted on 06/03/23

Professor Cathy Creswell (Co-SPACE UK) and Dr. Jennifer McMahon (Co-SPACE Ireland) have been featured in a podcast series, Generation Pandemic, to discuss mental health and wellbeing of children before, during

Posted on 11/07/22

Co-SPACE’s most recent report, examining the mental health of children and adolescents 2 years since the first UK national lockdown, is now live on the Co-SPACE website! You can read

Posted on 28/06/22

Dr. Polly Waite recently featured in a video for COVID-MINDS, in which scientists and mental health professionals came together to discuss the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Waite

Posted on 06/04/22

Dr Simona Skripkauskaite (@DrSkripka) recently lent her expertise to Pandemic Parenting for their most recent podcast, which explored how the pandemic has disproportionately affected families belonging to different communities. Dr Skripkauskaite was

Posted on 30/03/22

The Co-SPACE team are excited to announce their UK-Japanese collaboration, thanks to joint funding from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and

Posted on 30/03/22

The Co-SPACE team are excited to announce the launch of their two-year follow-up survey. The two year follow-up was launched on 30th March 2022, marking exactly two years since the

Posted on 24/03/22

Dr Polly Waite was invited to present at the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Social Science and Policy, where she offered insights from the Co-SPACE study into parent, child and adolescent

Posted on 07/03/22

The Co-SPACE study featured in University of Oxford ‘Philanthropy Report 2020/21’. Prof. Cathy Creswell recounts how the restrictions affected families, how the Co-SPACE study has helped to understand how they

Posted on 14/02/22

The Duke of Westminster writes about his concerns on the effect of COVID-19 on the mental wellbeing of children and his support for the Co-SPACE study. The wealth of information

Posted on 09/02/22

The Co-SPACE findings inform the Department of Education State of the Nation 2021 report on children and young people’s wellbeing. “This report collates and presents new analysis of published evidence

Posted on 09/02/22

Dr Polly Waite talks about the Co-SPACE finding and new funding with Oxfordshire’s JackFM News. Have a listen!

Posted on 09/02/22

The Co-SPACE findings feature in the Centre for Population Change January 2022 policy brief on ‘Covid-19 and children’s well-being’. Families need better support and a greater say on what will

Posted on 07/02/22

The Duke of Westminster, Chair of the Westminster Foundation said: ‘The effect of the pandemic on the mental well-being of children has been a particular concern to me and the

Posted on 12/01/22

With many of the COVID-19 legal restrictions now having been eased across the UK, we have now drawn the SPARKLE surveys to a close after 5 months. Over 640 families have taken

Posted on 12/01/22

Dr Polly Waite talks with the Guardian about age related differences in how children have coped with the pandemic: The effect of the pandemic on younger children has not been

Posted on 23/11/21

All PPI members were invited to join a virtual gathering to celebrate what we have all achieved together. Our team also shared with them the overall findings from the project.

Posted on 22/07/21

On the 24th of March 2021, Prof Cathy Creswell spoke at a webinar titled ‘The Effect of the Coronavirus Lockdown on the Mental Health of Children and Young People’, held

Posted on 01/07/21

Mental health and wellbeing implications of the COVID-19 quarantine for disabled and disadvantaged children and young people: evidence from a cross-cultural study in Zambia and Sierra Leone.  This journal article

Posted on 01/07/21

On the 17th of June 2021, Lord Davies of Brixton mentioned findings from Co-SPACE in the Covid-19: Children debate in the UK House of Lords. Some evidence on this has

Posted on 03/06/21

Findings from the Co-SPACE and the Emerging Minds Co-Ray Project are cited in this video. Read the full article here.

Posted on 22/05/21

The past year will have lasting consequences for some working parents. It will also affect their families, their employers and the economy. Careerwise, mothers of young children are particularly at

Posted on 09/03/21

In this radio podcast, Dr Polly Waite discussed the impacts of lockdown on children’s physical and mental wellbeing in relation to the recent Co-SPACE findings. Listen to the full interview

Posted on 09/03/21

Professor Cathy Creswell shared our recent findings on how parents/carers and children’s mental health have changed in the recent lockdown. Listen to the full radio podcast here. Skip to 1:10:00

Posted on 09/03/21

What’s the best approach with an anxious teenager? The Co-Space study of the effects of Covid-19 on children’s mental health has found a sudden rise in emotional problems among teenage

Posted on 09/03/21

How do I help my young child deal with separation anxiety after so long at home? For a child in reception or Year 1, it’s likely to feel like starting

Posted on 25/02/21

In February 2021, Dr Simona Skripkauskite spoke about the important Co-SPACE study findings with the Parental Participation in Education APPG. You can access the presentation slides here. Read more about

Posted on 25/02/21

On 22nd February 2021, Joy Morrissey MP mentioned Co-SPACE in the UK Parliament Covid debate: I welcome the Government’s decision to prioritise the reopening of schools on 8 March, and

Posted on 18/02/21

Posted on 17/02/21

The coronavirus pandemic continues to affect populations around the world. In this brochure, the authors summarised key findings from a rapid review of evidence emerging between September and November 2020,

Posted on 12/02/21

We are delighted to announce a new partnership for our Co-SPACE study – we will be working with the SPARKLE trial at King’s College London from February 2021 onwards. In

Posted on 12/02/21

After nearly a year of disrupted learning, primary school children in the UK have missed key milestones – as well as their friends. What will be the long term cost?

Posted on 10/02/21

In this report by the Association of Young People’s Health, the authors summarised their understanding of young people’s health in the round to bring together the key data, evidence and

Posted on 09/02/21

Examining changes in parent-reported child and adolescent mental health throughout the UK’s first COVID-19 national lockdown. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly changed the lives of children and adolescents, forcing them

Posted on 05/02/21

As clinical psychologists working with children, young people and their families, we are concerned about the impacts of the pandemic on the mental health and wider psychological development of our

Posted on 04/02/21

In our 7th Co-SPACE report, we looked at the mental health of parents/carers from March to December 2020. These findings were featured in the Peston programme.

Posted on 01/02/21

Anushka Asthana talks to Dr Polly Waite who discusses the Co-Space study, which has followed 12,000 families during the pandemic to look at how they are coping and what parents

Posted on 26/01/21

The number of children starting school without basic skills such as being able to go to the toilet unaided, put on a coat or respond to questions is at record

Posted on 21/01/21

Levels of stress, depression, and anxiety among parents and carers have increased with the pressures of the lockdowns, suggests research from the University of Oxford. Issues include difficulty relaxing, feeling

Posted on 08/12/20

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused extensive disruption to the lives of children and young people. Understanding the psychological effects on children and young people, in the context of known risk

Posted on 08/12/20

What has the experience of children and young people living in the era of Covid-19 done for their mental health and wellbeing? In this podcast, Professor Cathy Creswell discusses the

Posted on 18/11/20

In November 2020, Professor Cathy Creswell spoke about the important Co-SPACE study findings with the All-Party Parliamentary Group on a Fit and Healthy Childhood. You can access the presentation recording

Posted on 17/11/20

Professory Cathy Creswell was interviewed by the Guardian in November 2020. In the interview, she talked about the recent findings from the Co-SPACE study and stressed that creative thinking is

Posted on 17/11/20

The latest report from the Co-SPACE study highlights that for participating primary school aged children: Over the course of the first national lockdown when most children weren’t physically in school (between March

Posted on 01/11/20

As all parts of the UK have experienced further restrictions and lockdowns over the past month and with England going back into a second national lockdown this month, monitoring the

Posted on 24/10/20

Co-SPACE Ireland Study With the country now under further Covid-19 restrictions, a University of Limerick study has been examining the effect that lockdown can have on the mental health of

Posted on 20/10/20

Children and young people are at risk of becoming a “lost generation” because of the UK government’s pandemic policies, members of Sage have warned. Those aged seven to 24, sometimes

Posted on 10/10/20

Britain is sleepwalking into a mental health crisis as the government struggles to deal with the monumental effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Primary school-age children are considered especially vulnerable to

Posted on 10/10/20

The Department of Education’s report in 2020 collates publicly available data on children and young people’s wellbeing, and experiences associated with it, collected during the first months of the pandemic.

Posted on 14/09/20

The most recent report from the Co-SPACE (COVID-19 Supporting Parents, Adolescents, and Children in Epidemics) study highlights that: Emotional and restless/attention difficulties (and behaviour difficulties for primary school aged children) were

Posted on 14/09/20

On 11th September, we published the 5th Co-SPACE report. Results show that children from lower-income households show elevated mental health difficulties throughout lockdown. The findings also show that while the

Posted on 08/09/20

Prof Cathy Creswell was interviewed by BBC News on variable levels of anxiety, unhappiness & low mood amongst primary & secondary school children & parents who took part in Co-SPACE

Posted on 28/08/20

In this podcast, Prof Cathy Creswell talks about the concerns children and parents have about going back to school, based on the recent findings frmo the Co-SPACE study. She shares

Posted on 26/08/20

In the 3rd Co-SPYCE report, researchers found that young children of working parents experienced a ‘small but significant’ improvement in their behaviour and attention during lockdown. Around 15% of the

Posted on 22/08/20

Based on the recent findings in the Co-SPACE and Co-SPYCE study, Prof Helen Dodd shares practical tips on supporting children as they go back to school. She was quoted in

Posted on 17/07/20

Cathy Creswell discusses how levels of mental health have changed in different groups of children and young people during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Posted on 17/07/20

Co-Space study findings broadcast by ITV Tonight show that more than half of parents were stressed about their children’s well-being.

Posted on 15/07/20

The Co-SPACE study has now published its first findings from a longitudinal study that surveyed respondents over several months, which shows how young people and their parents are coping. In

Posted on 10/07/20

Could lockdowns have any lasting impact on her young children – what evidence is there on the effect of isolation on young minds? In this podcast (skip to 36:07) Prof

Posted on 21/06/20

On 21 June 2020, Robin McKie (Science Editor) wrote a piece in The Guardian that made reference to the Co-Space study.

Posted on 17/06/20

Dr Polly Waite discusses the findings of the Co-Space study in relation to emotional and behavioural difficulties with Jeremy Vine on BBC Radio 2.

Posted on 17/06/20

In this audio interview Dr Polly Waite discusses how families can support children with anxiety during COVID-19 lockdown.

Posted on 16/06/20

On 16th June 2020 Dave Speck wrote a piece about the Co-Space study in The Times Education Supplement (TES). He reported that “Loneliness, fear and loss of routine are reasons why primary pupils are finding the lockdown more difficult”.

Posted on 16/06/20

On 16th June 2020 Sam Blitz wrote a piece about the Co-Space study in the Daily Mail. It reported that “Primary school children are displaying more signs of emotional and mental health problems during lockdown, a new study has revealed.”

Posted on 16/06/20

Co-Space findings highlight that there is wide variation in how children and young people have been affected, with some finding life easier but others experiencing more difficulties.

Posted on 10/06/20

ITV news piece on the Co-Spyce study which is investigating what parents can do to help support their pre-school children’s mental health.

Posted on 27/04/20

In this article, Prof Tanya Byron answers questions from a parent who is trying to balance her job as a keyworker while caring for her children’s mental health. My husband

Posted on 26/04/20

On 26th April, Prof Cathy Creswell shared the Co-SPACE study’s findings on parents’ struggle with work and taking care of their child. In this article, she shares with us some

Posted on 24/04/20

Results from the first 1,500 parents taking part in the Co-SPACE study were quoted in this article. A University of Oxford study, Covid-19 Supporting Parents, Adolescents and Children in Epidemics, led

Posted on 10/04/20

On 10th April 2020 Sally Weale (Education Correspondent) wrote a piece about the Co-Space study in The Guardian. She reported that this “University of Oxford study looking at mental health finds young people worry about food scarcity and family catching the disease”.

Posted on 30/03/20

On 30th March 2020, we launched the Co-SPACE survey to track children and young people’s mental health throughout the COVID-19 crisis to identify what advice, support and help can actually