CATS is a unique longitudinal study following over 1200 children as they transition through adolescence and into adulthood. The study began in 2012 when the children were in Grade 3 (8-9 years old) and attending primary schools in metropolitan Melbourne. Check out our Publications page to find out what our research team has learnt over the last 12 years of this study.
Successes for CATS in 2023
The focus of the most recently completed wave of data collection in 2023 was on re-engaging participants who had not completed the survey over several years, as well as tracing those we had not been able to contact in the past two years. The end of this wave saw the highest survey completion rate in 5 years, with 71% of the original cohort engaging with the 25-minute survey! We hope to continue these re-engagement efforts in this year’s data collection period, and also to thank all our participants for their ongoing support of CATS.
What’s CATS doing in 2024?
In 2024 we’re catching up with all our participants again, who are now 20-21 years old, as they are settling into the early stages of their careers, travels, or higher education. We launched the 13th wave of CATS in early July after sending out our newsletter that thanked all our participants for their engagement and highlighted some of the important publications as a result.
Our annual survey asks about participants physical and mental health, living circumstances, studies or work, and how they are managing the many transitions occurring as they enter their early years of adulthood. We aim to improve our understanding of the numerous factors that influence young peoples’ health and emotional wellbeing as they develop from being adolescents to young adults.
Visit the CATS website for additional information: https://cats.mcri.edu.au.