National Institute for Health and Care Research

Our Approach to Developing Psychological Therapies for Young People

Introduction

In this section we introduce our approach for psychological treatment innovation for young people.

Focused on understanding and targeting psychological mechanisms, we guide you through a 10-step translational treatment development pathway.

Throughout these pages, you will find case studies, methods, and guidelines for elements of each step.

To learn more about the development of the pathway please read: A mechanistic approach to developing effective, acceptable, and accessible psychological therapies for young people and emerging adults (Leigh & Waite, 2026).

Read the Paper

3 Keystones

The keystones are the foundational principles that underpin all 10-steps in the translational development process, that support and connect the other components.

The 3 Keystones

Ten Steps

Here we detail the 10-step process of translational development – from identifying the treatment gap to implementing new psychological interventions.

How to Develop a Psychological Theory

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