A critical review of the literature on children and young people’s views of the factors that influence their mental health

Date: 1st September 2009
Category: Basic Health and Welfare
Author: NHS Health Scotland

This study was commissioned in order to examine what children and young
people themselves perceive to be important in affecting their mental health for
good or ill and was undertaken in the form of a systematic review of both
published peer-reviewed and 'grey' literature.

The review forms part of a wider piece of work being undertaken in Scotland to
develop a set of mental health indicators. To provide a means of assessing the
mental health of Scotland's population and its context, NHS Health Scotland was
commissioned by the Scottish Government to establish a set of national mental
health indicators that could be used to create a summary mental health profile for
Scotland. In NHS Health Scotland 'mental health' is used as an umbrella term to
refer to both the concepts of mental health problems and mental wellbeing.

• Read the study.