Date: 09/12/2025
Series 2 Episode 4 – Barbara Sherriff on Supporting Young People’s Mental Health at Work
In this episode of Speaking of Research, we speak with Barbara Sherriff, a doctoral researcher at the University of Brighton, whose project explores how employers can play a more active role in improving mental health outcomes for young people entering the workforce.
Barbara’s research is responding to a global challenge that has intensified since the Covid pandemic—rising levels of mental ill health and the need for more effective and practical support structures in the workplace. Drawing on her background in HR and management, Barbara looks at the expectations and experiences of Gen Z employees, many of whom began their working lives remotely or in hybrid settings. Through interviews, surveys, and focus groups, she is building a clearer picture of how communication, clarity, and culture shape young people’s wellbeing at work.
In the episode, Barbara shares insights into how employers can move beyond generic promises of support and provide meaningful, realistic help that meets the needs of young employees. From mental health first aid training to transparent policies on workplace wellbeing, she offers examples of what works—and what happens when expectations are not managed effectively.
This is an important and timely conversation for anyone involved in organisational leadership, HR, student support, or policy development.
🎧 Barbara’s episode is a thoughtful reminder that small changes in how we listen and respond to employees can make a lasting difference. Tune in to hear how her research is helping shape healthier and more supportive work environments for the next generation.
Barbara Sherriff is a full time doctoral researcher at the University of Brighton and is part of the 2023–2024 cohort. She is supervised by Dr Anne Daguerre, Dr Jane Parry and Professor Jörg W. Huber. Barbara’s PhD project explores the employer’s role in mitigating mental ill health in young people by harnessing the employee voice of South Coast university students to better support performance and wellbeing at work, during study and beyond.
You can listen on your favourite platform:
- Spotify: Listen here
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- Amazon Music: Listen here
- Acast: Listen here
Start listening today and join us in celebrating the voices shaping tomorrow’s research.
🎧 Season 2 launches November 2025
New episodes of Speaking of Research Series 2 will be released on Tuesdays between 18 November 2025 to 10 February 2026.
Tune in weekly to hear directly from researchers across our partner institutions as they share their work, insights, and the impact they hope to make.
Curious about how it all began?
Series One of Speaking of Research was recorded at our annual conference at Cumberland Lodge in April 2025. In each episode, Catherine McDonald from Research Podcasts speaks with doctoral researchers about their projects, who might benefit from their work, and the impact they hope to make.
Visit our Series 1 podcast archive to listen to the full first series and discover the stories that launched the conversation.
💬 We’d love to hear from you. If you have comments, reflections, or feedback, feel free to get in touch with us at scdtp@soton.ac.uk.
