Social factors, like loneliness and poverty, are robustly related to mental health. What is still unclear is why these relationships exist and what can be done about them. This project will investigate the mechanisms through which social factors shape mental health, with a focus on vulnerable populations such as at-risk youth, using laboratory experiments and field studies in context. Finally, this project will trial a novel community-based intervention to prevent the onset of mental illness.This project will investigate the mechanisms through which social factors shape mental health, with a focus on vulnerable populations such as at-risk youth, using laboratory experiments and field studies in context. Finally, this project will trial a novel community-based intervention to prevent the onset of mental illness.