Kathryn Steventon Roberts
Kathryn is a Postdoctoral Research Officer in the Department of Social Policy and Intervention and works as part of the Accelerate Team led by Professor Lucie Cluver. Kathryn’s current research focuses on mental health and psychosocial aspects of health and wellbeing, with a specific focus on children and adolescents.
Kathryn has experience of working on a broad portfolio of international projects focusing on global health topics relating to HIV/AIDS, family, women and children, adolescents, violence, community and psychological aspects of health and wellbeing. Through her work, Kathryn has contributed to projects commissioned by international agencies inclusive of the Coalition for Children Affected by AIDS, UNICEF, and Save the Children. Kathryn is also the Editorial Manager (administration) for three academic journals (AIDS Care; Psychology Health & Medicine; Vulnerable Children and Youth Studies). Prior to joining the department Kathryn worked in a research role based at University College London since 2015.
Kathryn is in the final stages of her PhD based within the Institute of Global Health at University College London. Her PhD research, funded by the Economic Social Research Council (ESRC), focuses on adolescent pregnancy and mental health in sub-Saharan Africa. Kathryn holds an MSc in Applied Mental Health Research from King’s College London.
Kathryn has a passion for promoting the wellbeing of young people and is extremely fortunate to be working with an incredible team of colleagues and mentors.
Steventon Roberts, K. J. (2022). Promoting mental health among pregnant adolescents living with HIV. The Lancet Child & Adolescents Health, 6(8), 511-513.
Steventon Roberts, K.J., Smith, C., Cluver, L., Toska, E., Jochim, J., Marlow, M. & Sherr, L. (2022). Adolescent mothers and their children affected by HIV – an exploration of maternal mental health, and child cognitive development. PLOS One, 17(10), e0275805.
Steventon Roberts, K.J., Smith, C., Toska, E., Cluver, L., Haag, K., Wittesaele, C., Langwenya, N., Jochim, J. Saal, W., Shenderovich, Y. & Sherr, L. (2022). Risk factors for mental health among adolescent mothers affected by HIV in South Africa. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 1-18.
Steventon Roberts, K. J., Sherr, L., Haag, K., Smith, C., Jochim, J., Toska, E., ... & Cluver, L. (2022). Adolescent parenthood and HIV-infection in South Africa - Associations with child cognitive development. PLOS Global Public Health, 2(5), e0000238.
Sherr, L., Haag, K., Steventon Roberts, K.J., Cluver, L., Wittesaele, C., Saliwe, B., Tolmay, J., Langwenya, N., Jochim, J., Saal, W., Zhou, S., Chen, J., & Toska, E. (2022) The development of children born to young mothers with no, first-or second-generation HIV acquisition in the Eastern Cape province, South Africa: a cross-sectional study. BMJ open, 12(10), e058340.
Toska, E.*, Saal, W., Chen-Charles, J., Wittesaele, C., Langwenya, N., Jochim, J., Steventon Roberts, K.J., Anquandah, J., Sherr, L. & Cluver, L.* (2022). Achieving the Health and Wellbeing Sustainable Development Goals among adolescent mothers and their children in South Africa: findings from a community-based mixed HIV-status cohort. PLOS One, 17(12): e0278163. *Authors contributed equally to the writing of this manuscript
Jochim, J., Meinck, F., Steventon Roberts, K. J., Wittesaele, C., Langwenya, N., Toska, E., & Cluver, L. (2022). Which factors affect postpartum educational enrollment of adolescent mothers in South Africa? A latent class analysis. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 1-17. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13548506.2022.2108085
Jochim, J., Meinck, F., Toska, E., Roberts, K., Wittesaele, C., Langwenya, N., & Cluver, L. (2022). Who goes back to school after birth? Factors associated with postpartum school return among adolescent mothers in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Global public health, 1-15. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17441692.2022.2049846
Sherr, L., Mebrahtu, H., Mwaba, K., Nurova, N., Chetty, A. N., Swartz, A., Cluver, L., Steventon Roberts, K.J. & Lachman, J. M. (2022). ‘Tipping the balance'–an evaluation of COVID-19 parenting resources developed and adaapted for child protection during global emergency responses. Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine, 10(1), 676-694.
Sherr, L., Haag, K., Tomlinson, M., Rudgard, W. E., Skeen, S., Meinck, F., Du Toit, S., Steventon Roberts, K.J., Gordon, S., Desmond, C. & Cluver, L. (2022). Understanding accelerators to improve SDG-related outcomes for adolescents–an investigation into the nature and quantum of additive effects of protective factors to guide policy making. PLoS ONE.
Haag, K., Du Toit, S., Skeen, S., Steventon Roberts, K., Chideya, Y., Notholi, V., ... & Tomlinson, M. (2022). Predictors of COVID-related changes in mental health in a South African sample of adolescents and young adults. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 1-17.
Du Toit, S., Haag, K., Skeen, S., Sherr, L., Orkin, M., Rudgard, W. E., Marlow, M., Mebrahtu, H., Steventon Roberts, K.J. & Tomlinson, M. (2022). Accelerating progress towards improved mental health and healthy behaviours in adolescents living in adversity: findings from a longitudinal study in South Africa. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 1-13.Â
Haag, K., Du Toit, S., Rudgard, W. E., Skeen, S., Meinck, F., Gordon, S. L., ... & Sherr, L. (2022). Accelerators for achieving the sustainable development goals in Sub-Saharan-African children and young adolescents–A longitudinal study. World Development, 151(C).
