Title: Evidence mapping review of intergenerational interventions and a systematic review to explore their effect on social and mental wellbeing of children and young people.
Funder: Department of Health and Social Care

Abstract: What does this project aim to do?_x000D_ Our research aims to explore whether activities that bring older people alongside children and young people so that they can share experiences and skills, such as reading or music, are helpful for the children and young people. We want to know if these activities help them to be better off mentally, socially and educationally. We will work with another team who will look at how these same activities are helpful for the older people. _x000D_ _x000D_ Why is this important?_x000D_ Young people and children are among the worst affected by the coronavirus pandemic, particularly in terms of their mental health. Older people have become more isolated, and have suffered the worst physical threats of the pandemic. Isolation, fear and loneliness can lead to poor physical and mental health in older people, particularly if they already have conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. Activities that involve young and old together can bring them closer together, can make them feel less isolated and provide meaningful support to children and young people who are at risk. We need to find out if these activities work well enough to be worth funding, which groups might benefit most and which actiities work best. To do this we need to explore all the relevant research and see which questions it does and does not currently answer so that children and young people in the UK benefit from informed decisions._x000D_ _x000D_ How will we do this research?_x000D_ We will carry out this research in three stages. _x000D_ Firstly, we will search far and wide for all research that has looked at any planned activities that involve young and old together. We will describe the differnt types of activities, and which groups have taken part in them. We will present what we find in an interactive table which shows all of the existing research and makes clear what types of activities, where and for whom these have taken place, and how people have measured whether or not the activities were a success._x000D_ Secondly we will discuss our findings with young people, their families and also health and social care workers who provide services for children and young people. We will ask them all to help us identify where to focus future efforts so that activities that work are offered to the groups of young people that really need them. We will also ask them what they think makes an activity work well or means that it doesn't work as planned. We will ask CHILYPEP, an organisation that tries to make sure that young people’s voices are heard, to help keep young people right at the heart of our research programme. We will run three different group chats using video calls to gather the views of young people and of people who deliver services. _x000D_ For the last part of our research we plan to take an even closer look at a promising activity that people have already said that they think is really important. We want to find out if that activity really does improve the social and mental lives of children and young people. We will also tell people what questions still need answering to shape services so that they truly help children and young people. _x000D_ _x000D_ How will we let people know what we have found?_x000D_ We will use as many different ways as possible to let as many interested people as possible learn about our findings. We will work with our advisors and young people to make sure that everyone who needs to can understand what we have found including easy to read summaries, videos and online blogs.

Lay abstract: Research Question _x000D_ 1. What is the role and effects of intergenerational interventions for the health and wellbeing of children and young people? _x000D_ 2. What do children, young people, families and those involved with planning and delivering their care think are the priority research questions suitable for systematic review in intergenerational practice._x000D_ 3. What future research is needed to guide policy making in this area?_x000D_ Background_x000D_ Intergenerational programmes and activities, such as buddy systems that bring older people with life experience and skills alongside younger people with the intention of achieving positive health and /or social and or/educational outcomes have been highlighted as potential policy areas by which stronger generational connections and communities could be fostered. Opportunities for social connection between generations in the UK have diminished over recent decades as a result of changes in the way that we live and work. These have been heightened by the measures taken in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19 pandemic)1. _x000D_ Intergenerational programmes and activities may offer promising interventions to address needs of both the young and the elderly. Although evidence suggests that intergenerational activity can have a positive impact on participants, commissioning decisions are complex due to the lack of evidence regarding which programmes to commission and an apparent wealth of options available._x000D_ Objectives_x000D_ • To identify, describe and create an evidence map of the existing research evidence exploring intergenerational interventions. _x000D_ • To identify priorities for evidence synthesis through PPI and stakeholder consultation_x000D_ • To disseminate findings via diverse media including publication of the reviews in the Campbell Library. _x000D_ Methods_x000D_ The project comprises three work packages. Findings from each work package inform the next stage of the research._x000D_ 1. A mapping review of intergenerational interventions targeted at children and young people, across health and social care. The map will provide visual representation of the state of the evidence and will highlight promising interventions that are yet to be subject to formal evaluation. The map will identify diverse interventions that have been developed, evaluations undertaken, the populations included in the evaluations, outcomes that have been measured and study designs used in their evaluation._x000D_ 2. A stakeholder and PPI consultation and prioritisation exercise involving young people, families, and wider stakeholders involved in developing, delivering and receiving intergenerational activities or commissioning children’s services, with the aim of exploring the map and developing and prioritising a series of useful and relevant research questions._x000D_ 3. A systematic review to address a research question prioritised from the mapping review and consultation exercise._x000D_ _x000D_ Timelines_x000D_ This programme of work will span 18 months, with the initial mapping review occurring in months 1-6 and the systematic review months 7-16. The prioritisation process will occur throughout the 18 months._x000D_ _x000D_ Dissemination_x000D_ In addition to publications in the Campbell Library, we will produce accessible dissemination materials including briefing papers, podcasts, plain language summaries and blog posts.

Research activity codes: 3.1 PRIMARY PREVENTION INTERVENTIONS TO MODIFY BEHAVIOURS OR PROMOTE WELL-BEING;6.6 PSYCHOLOGICAL AND BEHAVIOURAL
Health categories: GENERIC HEALTH RELEVANCE