Developing a Single Session Intervention for Children and Young People Referred with Mental Health Concerns

Developing a Single Session Intervention for Children and Young People Referred with Mental Health Concerns In this application, we are planning to do the preparatory work to embark on a larger programme of study that expores how a transdiagnostic single session intervention (SSI) approach can work and can be helpful and acceptable to children and young people (CYP) who are referred to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). Evidence suggests there is real promise in this approach but current limitations are that we do not know whether this approach works better for some CYP/groups, that the existing studies are small or underpowered, that interventions not necessarily well defined in terms of mechanisms of effect (no programme theory/logic model) and there is a lack of co-designed studies. In this preparatory study, we plan to conduct three workstreams: A scoping review of the literature will be conducted to address the following questions: What single-session interventions are used for mental health care in CYP aged up to 25 years and how are they implemented? What methods have been used to evaluate these interventions? The development of a network of stakeholders and collaborators to strengthen the research team, including CYP with lived experience and family/carers (our patient and public involvement). To ensure an inclusive approach in the development of a single-session transdiagnostic intervention for outpatient Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), we will use principles and techniques from Experience-Based Co-Design (EBCD). In this study, we will build on our previous surveys learning from the methodological and technical challenges previously identified to establish what single session interventions are currently in place in CAMHS and to eliciting detail about their content, implementation, resource use, perceived strengths and weaknesses and whether data is routinely collected related to CYP satisfaction with the approach. These work packages will form the foundation of an application for an NIHR PGfAR to develop and evaluate the single - session intervention. The proposal will be developed iteratively according to outcomes from the PDG work packages and will include: intervention development, realist review; feasibility testing and acceptability of the single-session intervention, including the logic model and training/delivery manual; Effectiveness evaluation (Randomised Controlled Trial) based on a detailed protocol incorporating an internal pilot with clear progression criteria; Health economic evaluation; Process evaluation exploring context and mechanisms, and factors likely to impact future implementation.