Our Approach to Research

  1. Youth and Caregiver Engagement

    Our approach is grounded in the belief that mental health research must be meaningfully co-designed with youth and caregivers - not only to enhance relevance and rigour, but also to uphold ethical standards and promote equity. We are committed to developing innovative strategies to embed the perspectives of youth and caregivers into how outcomes are conceptualized, defined, and operationalized.

    “Lived experience is expertise. Our research reflects the priorities of youth who have experienced depression and anxiety and the caregivers of these youth.”

  2. Standardization and Core Outcome Sets

    Our research tackles the persistent fragmentation in outcome reporting by developing Core Outcome Sets (COS), which are standardized, evidence-informed, and consensus-driven sets of outcomes, for adolescent depression and pediatric anxiety disorders. COS development ensures that clinical trials measure what matters most to youth, caregivers, clinicians, and researchers, enabling meaningful comparisons across studies, reducing research waste, and enhancing the translation of findings into policy and practice.

    “Measuring the same outcomes in the same way helps us discover which treatments work best and for whom.”

  3. Collaborative Implementation Science

    Our approach is grounded in real-world applications. By integrating implementation science principles such as interest holder engagement, feasibility testing, and iterative feedback, we ensure that outcomes and measurement tools are not only scientifically rigorous but also usable and impactful in diverse clinical environments. Our work is guided by international best practices (COMET, COSMIN, SPIRIT) and co-designed with youth, caregivers, clinicians and researchers to reflect what truly matters in care and research.

    “Our aim is to make outcome selection and measurement accessible, understandable, and usable - so that evidence-based tools can be meaningfully integrated into everyday care.”

  4. Measurement-Based Care (MBC)

    We support the implementation of Measurement-Based Care (MBC) across clinical settings to transform how mental health is assessed and addressed. MBC involves the routine, longitudinal use of validated patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) to monitor symptoms of depression and anxiety over time. These insights guide care decisions, improve engagement, and support personalized treatment pathways.

    “Measurement based care is not just a tool - it’s a mindset. It empowers clinicians, as well as youth and families to track progress and adjust care in real time.”

Co-designed. Evidence-based. Outcome-driven.

The MOSAIC lab believes that improving mental health care for children and youth begins with selecting and measuring outcomes that reflect their lived experiences. Our approach is built on four interconnected pillars: