Dr Katarzyna Kostyrka-Allchorne
Lecturer In Psychology
School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences
Queen Mary University of London
Research
Digital parenting interventions, Adolescent mental health, Digital activity, Child development
Interests
Katarzyna is a developmental psychologist researching risks and opportunities of growing up in a digital world. Her current research cuts across the disciplines of child and adolescent development, mental health, clinical interventions, and human-computer interactions and has two main strands.
First, she examines whether digital interventions can provide a solution to the growing problem of the lack of psychological support for parents, who may have a difficult time bringing up their children. Within this strand, she works with parents, clinicians, app developers and other researchers on developing and testing digital applications supporting parents both in the community as well as in the clinical services.
Second, her research investigates whether, why and for whom digital engagement is a risk or protective factor for mental health. This strand of research aims to provide a comprehensive characterisation of the associations between adolescent digital activity and mental health and identify some of their underpinning mechanisms.
Publications

Publications of specific relevance to the Centre for Brain and Behaviour
2025
The effects of TV/video viewing hours on later ADHD symptoms: A counterfactual analysis in longitudinal population-representative dataMurray A Casey H Wright H Zhu X Yang Y Li X Xiao Z King J et al.
Bmc Pediatrics,
Biomed Central 01-09-2025
Understanding Youth Online Experiences and Mental Health: Development and Validation of the Digital Activity and Feelings Inventory (DAFI)Katarzyna K Jake B Aja M Mariya S Iqra A Amy B Eliz A Chris H et al.
International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research,
Wiley vol. 34 (2)
01-06-20252024
Moderators of the Effects of a Digital Parenting Intervention on Child Conduct and Emotional Problems Implemented During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Results From a Secondary Analysis of Data From the Supporting Parents and Kids Through Lockdown Experiences (SPARKLE) Randomized Controlled TrialPokorna N Palmer M Pearson O Beckley-Hoelscher N Shearer J Kostyrka-Allchorne K Robertson O Koch M et al.
JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting,
JMIR Publications vol. 7
08-10-2024
Dynamic Interplay of Online Risk and Resilience in Adolescence (DIORA): a protocol for a 12-month prospective observational study testing the associations among digital activity, affective and cognitive reactions and depression symptoms in a community sample of UK adolescentsKostyrka-Allchorne K Stoilova M Bourgaize J Murray A Azeri E Hollis C Townsend E Sonuga-Barke E
Bmj Open,
Bmj Publishing Group vol. 14 (9), e085061-e085061.
30-09-2024
Pathways between digital activity and depressed mood in adolescence: outlining a developmental model integrating risk, reactivity, resilience and reciprocitySonuga-Barke EJS Stoilova M Kostyrka-Allchorne K Bourgaize J Murray A Tan MPJ Hollis C
Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences,
Elsevier vol. 58, 101411-101411.
01-08-2024
Reciprocal developmental pathways between future-related thinking and symptoms of adolescent depression and anxiety: A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies.Tang P Kostyrka-Allchorne K Butura A-M Phillips-Owen J
Clinical Psychology Review,
Elsevier vol. 112
08-07-20242023
Young people's future thinking and mental health: The development and validation of the Adolescent Future Thinking Rating ScaleTang P Sonuga‐Barke E
International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research,
Wiley vol. 33 (1), e1994-e1994.
03-10-2023
Remote Recruitment Strategy and Structured E-Parenting Support (STEPS) App: Feasibility and Usability StudyKostyrka-Allchorne K Chu P Ballard C Lean N French B Hedstrom E Byford S Cortese S et al.
JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting,
JMIR Publications vol. 6, e47035-e47035.
11-09-2023
Links between mental health problems and future thinking from the perspective of adolescents with lived experience of depression and anxiety: a qualitative studyTang P Pavlopoulou G Kostyrka-Allchorne K Philips-Owen J Sonuga-Barke E
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health,
Biomed Central
A protocol for the process evaluation of a Structured E-parenting Support (STEPS) in the OPTIMA randomised controlled trial.Hedström E Kostyrka-Allchorne K French B Glazebrook C Hall C Kovshoff H Lean N Sonuga-Barke E
Bmj Open,
Bmj Publishing Group
Moderators of the effects of a digital parenting intervention on child conduct and emotional problems implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic: results from a secondary analysis of data from the SPARKLE randomized controlled trialPokorna N Palmer M Pearson O Beckley-Hoelscher N Shearer J Kostyrka-Allchorne K Robertson O Koch M et al.
JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting,
JMIR Publications
Grants

Grants of specific relevance to the Centre for Brain and Behaviour
Online Parent Training for the Initial Management of ADHD ReferralsKatarzyna Kostyrka-Allchorne£24,750
National Institute for Health Research01-08-2025 - 31-07-2026
Impact of digital activity on the mental health of neurodivergent adolescentsKatarzyna Kostyrka-Allchorne£24,921
The Huo Family Foundation01-02-2025 - 31-12-2025
Adolescent Mental Health and Development in the Digital WorldKatarzyna Kostyrka-Allchorne£10,114
Medical Research Council18-09-2023 - 31-03-2026
Research Group
PhD Students
- Muskaan Admani
Digital Activity and Mental Health in Young Women With ADHD - Zinnatun Nahar
Exploring Impact of Digital Technology on Families of Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Towards Developing An Intervention For Safe Use.