Research and innovation

For decades the Tavistock’s work has helped shape how we see ourselves, as persons and as a society. Much thinking that has entered the mainstream emerged from its challenging interdisciplinary research and practice…

Hilary Mantel, 2020

Pioneering research has been part of our history since 1920. Since their inception, both the Tavistock Centre and the Portman Clinic have independently built a reputation as a testing ground for fundamental new ideas and practices.

We run and collaborate on applied research projects that take place within and outside of the NHS, with national and international collaborators. Most of our work is focused on children and young people’s mental health and development, although we are interested in mental health and wellbeing across the life-course.

Increasingly, our research takes a systematic approach towards the prevention of mental ill-health, and looks at ways that we can better tailor or personalise interventions to improve and promote psychological wellbeing. We have a strong inter-disciplinary focus that allows us to integrate insights from a range of perspectives and build on this knowledge to inform innovation in practice.

Our research

A showcase of current and completed research studies undertaken by our staff and their collaborators.

Our research studies

Our research collaborators

Our publications

Our open access repository hosts work and research by staff and students. Many items are available to freely download

Tavistock Clinic Series

The Tavistock Clinic Series makes available to the public our most influencial clinical, theoretical, and research work. The series sets out new approaches in the understanding and treatment of psychological disturbance in children, adolescents, and adults, both as individuals and in families.

The Tavistock Clinic Series

Research news