ACDI V 1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Advance Choice Document Implementation
IRAS ID
346853
Contact name
Claire Henderson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College London
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
NA, NA
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 9 months, 30 days
Research summary
The Advance Choice Documents Implementation (ACDI), funded by the Maudsley Charity, aims to evaluate the impact of Advance Choice Documents (ACDs) within the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM). ACDs are designed for individuals who have previously been detained under the Mental Health Act (MHA). ACDs outline how they wish to be treated during future mental health crises, ensuring their preferences are respected.
The study addresses how ACDs can reduce rates of detention under the MHA and improve relationships between service users and mental health professionals. This research will empower individuals with lived experience of mental health crises and potentially reduce coercive practices like involuntary detentions. The procedure being tested is the implementation of these planning tools, not a drug or medical device.
Participants in the study are people previously detained under the MHA who are currently receiving care within SLaM. The research will be conducted across various services with SLaM including general adult services, child and adolescent mental health services, older adult services, and forensic services. The study will last 18 months from the start of recruitment. In Work package 1, participants will join focus group discussions lasting about 1.5 hours. In Work package 2, they will answer a single question on their trust in mental health services and take part in interviews about their experiences of creating and using advance choice documents. Work packages 3 and 4 will use clinical records to examine ACD creation and use in relation to routinely collected outcomes.
The project is co-produced with service user advisory groups, ensuring that individuals with direct experience in mental health services are involved in shaping the study. The primary goal is to assess the effectiveness of ACDs in reducing MHA detentions and to explore their broader impact on care experiences.REC name
West Midlands - Coventry & Warwickshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/WM/0117
Date of REC Opinion
21 Jul 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion