We’ll be using data from a range of sources. The main source we plan to use is routinely collected data from healthcare, social care and education that has been de-identified and made available for research in a database called CADRE (Children and Adolescents Data Resource). CADRE will be the first linked database designed specifically for children’s health research. We will also be partnering with other research databases across the UK to make sure that the tools we develop have as much context and generalisability as possible.

We carried out research to identify as many distinct factors as possible that can affect children and young people’s mental health. Things like early childhood experiences (bullying, neglect, or racism), their environment (housing, diet, or the amount of green space near their home) or physical factors (genetics, inflammation, or brain chemistry) all affect a child’s mental health. The data we’re using can help us to show where a problem might be developing. There is growing evidence that physical factors, like our neurology, gut health, genes, and inflammation can all play an important part in our mental health. We are going to explore how these factors interact, and how together they can increase the chances or may even protect against it.

The purpose of Timely is to develop tools which are designed to signal to a GP, social worker, paediatrician or other professional when a young person might be at risk of, or already experiencing mental health problems. We want to be able to flag problems in their early stages, giving professionals a chance to offer help when it’s needed, or even to decide that there isn’t a problem, and all is well. There are many signs that show that a young person might be at risk of mental health problem; missing school, a change in their behaviourand many other separate, small things. We want to create AI and digital tools that use the data we already have, to help us predict where young people with mental health problems can be best treated and when.

All research we undertake will be approved by the NHS Research Ethics Committee. An important aspect of the project is to make sure that the approach we take is equitable, fair, and ethically acceptable; just because we can use all kinds of data about children and young people to build AI algorithms, it doesn’t mean that we should. We will be working with the Kavli Centre for Ethics, Science, and the Public and the Centre for Human Inspired Artificial Intelligence to develop recommendations on what data should be used for what purposes, and by whom as part of the early intervention pathway. We will work alongside the public and make sure their views are central to this work.

View Public Involvement

We’re bringing together a range of experts from academia, industry, clinical settings, and policy makers. We’re also talking to young people, their carers/guardians, and people with lived experience because it’s their data that’s going to help us build effective clinical pathways and tools for the future.

Still have a question, comment, or concern?

Contact Us