Spotlight on... Jessica Deighton

jessicadeighton_bio_photo.jpg This week, the spotlight shines on Jessica, Director of the Evidence Based Practice Unit and Professor in Child Mental Health and Wellbeing, and her current work with the Department of Education. We also discover that her first job was rooted in the body rather than the mind. What is your role and what does it involve? . I am Director of the Evidence Based Practice Unit, which is a collaboration between UCL and the Anna Freud Centre. The Unit carries out applied research around the topic of child mental health and wellbeing with four key themes: Risk  involves understanding the range of contexts and circumstances that put a child or young person at elevated risk for mental health problems or poor outcomes in the context of experiencing mental health problems. Resilience  explores the range of contexts and circumstances that enable some children and young people to thrive despite experiencing difficult circumstances. Change  examines how to best understand and measure change in children's mental health and wellbeing over time and what influences change. Choice  encapsulates two areas. First, how we can empower children, young people and parents and carers to be actively involved in their mental health and mental health care. Second, involving children, young people and parents and carers in choosing what we mean by evidence by involving them in the creation of knowledge. How long have you been at UCL and what was your previous role?. I started at UCL as a Lecturer in 2015. Before that I was solely based at the Anna Freud Centre as Head of Resilience, Research and Evaluation. What working achievement or initiative are you most proud of?