Planting Seeds of Change: Youth Voices at the BRC Showcase
By Mary-Anne Maingi
Whilst advancements in health research have deepened our understanding and treatment of disease, there is the ever-present risk that as language and ideas become more complex, those at the core of these issues will not be able to access, let alone grasp, potentially ground-breaking findings. The Biomedical Research Centre Showcase (or BRC Showcase for short) aimed to tackle this issue by bridging the gap between research professionals and the general public.
The event took place in the Westgate Shopping Centre on the 28th of May, and featured an array of research presented in a concise and interactive manner. Each stall radiated with eagerness from the representatives who managed to explain complex ideas with clarity and from members of the general public who took time out of their day to read, ask questions and engage with the material as intended. Our stall in particular aimed to encourage young people to get more involved in mental health research. I think that the YPAG’s value of uplifting the voices of young people in such settings was present from the moment that we began planning to when we executed on the day. As YPAG members, we discussed which activities and displays would be most effective at garnering the attention of young people (specifically those aged 11 to 17). After our brainstorming session, we landed on two main activities. We created a ‘true or false’ quiz and an ‘engagement tree’ accompanied by prompts such as ‘What is one thing young people bring to research that adults miss?’ which members of the public wrote their responses to on tiny leaves.
On the day, we helped set up the activities and then bravely dared to ask passersby whether they would like to contribute in any way or simply hear a bit about what being a YPAG member entails. Personally, when asked about my experience with the YPAG, I was drawn to talking about how co-research has shown me how my ideas have a purpose in spaces where I was previously unaware that they were even being considered. In my opinion, knowing that someone is listening to your thoughts and ideas as a young person is enough to strengthen your self-confidence, which is imperative if we want age-inclusive conversations about mental health to take place.
Over the course of the event, we saw our ‘engagement tree’ blossom with interesting perspectives from people of all ages. One recurring theme in these responses was that young people provide unique and innovative ideas as they often experience feelings and pressures beyond the scope of adult understanding. It’s this refreshing input that can improve how research is designed and carried out, but most importantly, disseminated- preventing young people from missing out on discussions around their mental health simply because they were unaware these discussions began.
Overall, our efforts as a YPAG to seek out the perspectives of young people alike who might not be fully aware of what it means to take part in co-research (or that it exists at all) could inspire others to more strongly promote youth participation in research. This has benefits in advancing our understanding of mental health and, by reaffirming that their voices truly do matter, empowering young people to engage in the research process from start to finish.