Lucy Foulkes

Dr Lucy Foulkes is a research psychologist specialising in adolescent mental health and the unintended consequences of mental health awareness campaigns. A Prudence Trust Research Fellow at the University of Oxford and honorary lecturer at UCL, she explores how well-intentioned initiatives may inadvertently increase problems in some young people, alongside investigating self-diagnosis and its relationship to identity development. Her acclaimed books, What Mental Illness Really Is (2021) and Coming Of Age: How Adolescence Shapes Us (2024), translate complex research into accessible insights. Lucy equips organisations with evidence-based strategies to communicate about mental health more effectively, helping leaders, educators and policymakers support young people without causing unintended harm.

During her PhD at University College London, Lucy Foulkes began investigating a question that would reshape her career: could well-intentioned mental health awareness campaigns inadvertently harm the young people they aim to help? That research sparked a body of work exploring how adolescents understand and respond to mental health messaging, from self-diagnosis patterns to the unintended consequences of school interventions. Today, as a Prudence Trust Research Fellow at the University of Oxford's Department of Experimental Psychology and an honorary lecturer at UCL, she leads research examining whether awareness-raising efforts might, in some cases, increase problems rather than reduce them. Her work focuses on the relationship between mental health messaging, identity development, and the rising rates of self-reported distress among young people.

Lucy's expertise draws on years of rigorous academic research combined with a rare ability to translate complex findings into practical understanding. She holds senior research positions at both Oxford and the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, where her work investigates phenomena such as prevalence inflation, concept creep, and the role of social context in adolescent mental health. Her two books, published by Penguin Random House, demonstrate her commitment to making research accessible: What Mental Illness Really Is (2021) challenges misconceptions around diagnosis and awareness, whilst Coming Of Age: How Adolescence Shapes Us (2024) explores how this developmental period shapes identity and wellbeing. Lucy has shared her insights across international media, from BBC Radio 4's Start the Week to national newspapers in the UK, Ireland, and New Zealand. Her month-long residency at London's Science Museum in 2016 saw her engage directly with thousands of visitors, whilst her speaking engagements have ranged from intimate pub-based Pint of Science events to corporate presentations for organisations navigating employee mental health during the pandemic.

Lucy equips audiences with evidence-based strategies to communicate about mental health more effectively, particularly when supporting young people. She helps organisations understand the delicate balance between raising awareness and avoiding unintended harm, offering clarity on topics such as the nocebo effect, the risks of oversimplified messaging, and how to respond constructively to self-diagnosis. Her talks challenge leaders, educators, and policymakers to rethink assumptions about adolescent distress, providing frameworks that acknowledge both the benefits and limitations of current approaches. Audiences leave with a clearer understanding of what mental health support truly requires, practical tools for navigating complex conversations, and the confidence to implement approaches that genuinely help rather than inadvertently amplify distress. Lucy's work ultimately enables organisations to support adolescent wellbeing with greater nuance, compassion, and effectiveness.