An exploration of adolescent treatment journeys into psychotherapy
Research type
Research Study
Full title
What can be learned from an understanding of the lived experience of treatment journeys into psychotherapy through interviews with adolescents and their carers?
IRAS ID
244947
Contact name
Jonathan Bowden-Howl
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 1 months, 30 days
Research summary
This research project aims to explore the various ways that adolescents get help prior to them starting involvement with a child psychotherapist within a local NHS child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS). The specific research question is:
What can be learned from an understanding of the lived experience of treatment journeys into psychotherapy through interviews with adolescents and their carers?
There have been several recent studies into child psychotherapy for adolescents. However, there is currently no research into young people’s and their carers' experiences of getting help for their difficulties prior to accessing psychotherapy. In the current economic climate where adolescents are having to wait longer to come into services to access psychotherapy, this study will give an important voice to the experiences of what has been helpful or unhelpful prior to coming into psychotherapy.
The study will be conducted within NHS CAMHS services operated by Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust in Cornwall (CFT). The study aims to recruit children in the adolescent age range (12-18 years old) who have current active involvement within CFT CAMHS services, and have recently begun an assessment with a child psychotherapist in these services. There is no criteria around the psychiatric diagnosis of the young person. The study aims to also recruit the parents / carers of the participating adolescents. Both adolescent and parent / carer would participate in one interview which would be conducted at their local CAMHS clinic. The study would last approximately eighteen months. This period includes recruiting 6-8 adolescents and their respective parents / carers, the data analysis and formal writing up of the project. The interviews would be audio recorded, then transcribed in order to be analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. The final report would be made available to participants if required.
REC name
London - Hampstead Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/LO/1040
Date of REC Opinion
2 Aug 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion