What is the ROOTS Project?
ROOTS is all about teenagers. Most young people thrive under the demands and challenges of adolescence. Some run into specific problems, for example, they may struggle to deal with exam pressure or have problems with friends. But others become very upset and feel unable to handle things. They begin to feel down or anxious or their behaviour may suffer. Sometimes these problems are severe. Here are two stories
At 14 Hayley got quite nervous about her SATS exams. They went OK, not brilliant but OK. Years 10 and 11 weren’t much fun - just loads of work. Outside of school life was full of ups and downs with her friends and parents. She put on a bit of weight and had a few annoying spots. Now though, at 18, she’s just finished her A levels and is looking forward to a gap year (Australia and New Zealand if she can save enough money) before going to university in Leeds to study Art and Design. She’s had a couple of boyfriends but not too serious. She loves going out, music, drawing and her dog and is optimistic about the future.
Dan’s experience was different. He also got quite nervous about his SATS in year 9, but things seemed to get on top of him. He couldn’t sleep or concentrate and eventually stopped going to school. His SATS results were disappointing and parents and teachers weren’t happy. In years 10 and 11 things got worse. Dan got behind with his coursework and his marks dropped. He found he couldn’t enjoy himself so stopped seeing friends and couldn’t talk to his parents. He didn’t turn up to take his final exams. Now he’s trying to decide what to do next: he might re-take GCSEs, or get a job. Either way he doesn’t much care. He feels unhappy all the time. He’s stuck.
In 2004 researchers at the University of Cambridge, led by Professor Ian Goodyer were awarded a grant from the Wellcome Trust to carry out a large study to find out why some teenagers, like Dan, run into problems and others, like Hayley, seem to be able to rise to the challenges and enjoy life.
