The ATTUNE Project investigates the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) on the mental health of young people aged 10-24 across the UK. By employing an equitable approach that integrates arts-based methods with traditional research techniques, ATTUNE aims to deepen our understanding of these experiences and their effects on mental health. The project aims to improve young people’s mental health outcomes and access to appropriate care services.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) encompass adversities such as sexual abuse, physical abuse, parental loss, and other traumatic events that occur during childhood. Three out of four adolescents exposed to multiple ACEs develop significant distress and mental health disorders as young adults, including anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. However, there is a gap in understanding what factors make an adolescent vulnerable to or protected from mental health problems following ACEs, and how best to support and protect affected young people, many of whom struggle to access and engage with care services.

Traditional research methods on mental health have provided valuable insights, but they may not fully capture the diverse experiences and voices of young people. ATTUNE addresses this gap by involving young people directly in the research process and using creative methods to explore their experiences.

• Equitable engagement: Young people are active contributors to the design and delivery of the project, ensuring their voices and perspectives shape the research. By actively involving young people throughout the process, ATTUNE seeks to gain valuable insights and develop tailored strategies to support adolescents who have experienced ACEs.  
• Innovative methods: We use arts-based approaches, such as art, performance, and digital games, to help young people express their experiences in ways that are accessible and meaningful to them.
• Collaborative approach: The project involves a multidisciplinary team of young people, researchers, communities, researchers, policymakers, decision makers, and creative practitioners working together to explore the impacts of ACEs. Young people and key stakeholders co-produce public mental health resources for secondary schools, third sector organisations, and social services to help them understand and better support adolescent mental health in the context of ACEs.

• Public health resources: Develop effective public health resources tailored to support the mental health of young people, ensuring equitable access to mental health support.
• Educational tools: Create inclusive and accessible educational tools to aid in understanding and addressing the mental health impacts of ACEs.
• Advancement in mental health research: Contribute significant insights to young people’s mental health research by prioritising equity and inclusion, leading to more accurate and impactful outcomes in both educational and health and social care settings.