More than 1,200 students have now completed a survey in a research project on adolescent mental health in Bermuda.

Daniel Cavanagh, a PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne, who is conducting the research, said that the Ministry of Education had also now agreed to work with public schools for the project.

He added that Saltus Academy and Chatmore International School will complete the survey next month.

Students from Somersfield Academy, Bermuda Centre for Creative Learning, Mount Saint Agnes Academy, Bermuda High School, Warwick Academy and the Bermuda Institute have already taken part in the project.

CedarBridge Academy and the Berkeley Institute will be the first public schools to participate.

The research project, which started last September, will examine how commonplace anxiety and depression symptoms are in young people from Year 7 to Year 13, as well as their attitudes towards seeking mental help and the resources available.

Kalmar Richards, the Commissioner of Education, said that she was pleased to be working with the university and believed the results would benefit the country.

She added: “This is a project we are pleased to collaborate with.

“Understanding the mental health landscape of adolescents will be key to developing policies at Bermuda public schools.”

The research team hopes to have results by the end of the year, and will hold public forums with the school to discuss them.

The team will also give a summary of the results to the Department of Health and the Department of Education.

David Kendell, the director of health, said that the information would help to identify specific problem areas, such as sources of stress and any disparities among stress and help, and raise awareness of children’s mental health struggles.

He added that it could be used to inform policy changes and advocate for better psychological resources for children.