About the Good Measure Project
As young people develop, they typically explore new sexual feelings and curiosities about sex; they consider their own sense of having a particular gender and sexual identity; and they learn to form intimate relationships.
Sexual development is a normal, healthy - and ideally positive - part of adolescence but it can also involve difficult and harmful experiences, thoughts and feelings including shame and stigma. Despite sex and sexuality being a key element of many young people’s lives, there is very little research addressing links between young people’s sexual lives and their mental health. Many adolescent health surveys include just one or two questions on sex - usually age at first intercourse - or no sexuality questions at all.
The Good Measure project aims to advance understanding of the links between adolescent sexuality, gender identity development and mental health and wellbeing. It aims to understand measurement priorities and challenges, build researcher confidence, and strengthen collaboration between researchers in adolescent mental health and those in sexual health.
What did Good Measure involve?
The resources in this website were generated from project activities:
- Agenda-setting workshops with young people, parents, and mental health researchers,
- A systematic review of psychosexual measures for adolescents
- Qualitative workshops with young people,
- Development and validation of a new measure of sexual wellbeing for adolescents.
The Good Measure project was funded by a UK Research and Innovation grant. Reference number: MR/X003256/1.
Meet the team
- Professor Kirstin Mitchell (Principal Investigator), University of Glasgow
- Dr Ruth Lewis (Co-Investigator), University of Glasgow
- Billie Turner (Research Assistant), University of Glasgow
- Raquel Boso Perez (Research Assistant), University of Glasgow
- David Pharis (Research Assistant), University of Glasgow
- Jen Littlejohn (Research Assistant), University of Glasgow
- Professor Chris Bonell (Co-Investigator), LSHTM
- Professor Elizabeth McDermott (Co-Investigator), University of Birmingham
- Professor J. Dennis Fortenberry (Co-Investigator), Indiana University
- Professor Lucia O’Sullivan (Co-Investigator), New Brunswick University
- Professor Sally McManus (Co-Investigator), City St George’s, University of London
- Dr Melissa Palmer (Co-Investigator), LSHTM
Our Youth Advisory Group
The research team was advised by a Youth Advisory Group (YAG) comprised of 8 young people.
Our Professional Advisory Group
- Dr András Költo, University of Galway
- Catherine Newsome, Department of Education
- Dawn Haughton, University of Glasgow
- Dr Evangeline Tabor, University College London
- Professor Rory O’Connor, University of Glasgow
Contact Us
If you have a query, please get in touch with us at goodmeasure@glasgow.ac.uk.
