Child & Adolescent Mental Health & Wellbeing

Child and adolescent mental health and wellbeing is a discipline that addresses one of the most urgent and growing areas of healthcare. Mental health difficulties among children and young people are increasingly recognised, and the systems designed to support them, from schools and primary care to specialist child and adolescent mental health services, are under significant pressure. Understanding how mental health develops from pre-conception through to adulthood, what influences wellbeing, what barriers prevent young people from getting help and how interventions can be designed and delivered effectively is the focus of this degree.

At Edge Hill, this three-year full-time programme includes a sandwich year and a work placement, giving you direct professional experience in child and adolescent mental health settings alongside your academic development. You will explore the psychological, biological, social and environmental influences on children's and young people's mental health, examining why some children develop difficulties and what protective factors support resilience. The programme develops your ability to think critically about evidence, to understand the ethical dimensions of working with young people and to engage with the policy and commissioning frameworks that govern the sector.

Placements are central to the degree, taking you into real settings where you work with practitioners and gain first-hand experience of how mental health services for children and young people are delivered.

Graduates move into mental health support roles in schools, NHS CAMHS services, charities and voluntary organisations, youth work and family support. Many graduates use the degree as a foundation for postgraduate training in clinical psychology, educational psychology, counselling or social work. The field is growing and the combination of academic knowledge and placement experience positions graduates well for a competitive sector.