Sam Trethewey

Sam is a clinical-academic public health doctor in the Severn Deanery. Since medical school, Sam became increasingly drawn to clinical academia following completion of an intercalated degree in cardiovascular research, followed by the Academic Foundation Programme and subsequent posts as a Clinical Research Fellow in both primary and secondary care settings. It was through these early experiences that Sam developed a range of transferable skills and interests in using different research methodologies in a diverse range of clinical-academic areas.

Sam's most recent role as an NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow in Public Health at Exeter, based in the Children and Young People's Mental Health Research Collaboration (ChYMe), provided him with a foundation in public health practice alongside a growing passion for research in public mental health. During this time, Sam investigated factors associated with mental health service contact in children and young people. Mental health problems are common and can have lasting impacts on young people and their families, as well as wider socio-economic impacts for society. However, despite its importance, there is an absence of systematic research investigating the mental health needs of young people living in rural and deprived communities in the UK.

During his GW4-CAT HP Programme (Wellcome Trust funded) PhD at Exeter, Sam will use a mixed-methods approach to develop our understanding of the impact of rurality and deprivation on the mental health of young people. In addition to reviewing international research and examining linked, multinational, administrative healthcare data and longitudinal cohort study data, Sam will carry out complementary quantitative and qualitative studies. This approach will enable Sam to triangulate findings and provide a clearer understanding of the epidemiology and causal pathways to mental health problems, service use and outcomes in this substantially under-researched population.

By synthesising the evidence and engaging with young people and commissioners, this work will seek to co-develop an evidence-based framework to inform strategies to improve commissioning of services for young people living in rural and remote communities.