Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services: What Really Matters? Ver1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Services for Child and Adolescent Mental Health: What Really Matters? A Qualitative Study Exploring the Values of Young People, Carers, Professionals and Commissioners.
IRAS ID
181760
Contact name
Peter Hindley
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Royal College of Psychiatrists
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 4 months, 25 days
Research summary
This is a qualitative study exploring what different people value and consider important in relation to services for children and young people with mental health problems. We plan to conduct focus groups with young people, parents and carers and different professionals working within and alongside Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). We will also conduct individual interviews with managers and commissioners. Our research links to Values-Based Commissioning. This is a process whereby the following three aspects are given equal weight when making decisions about what services are commissioned: the evidence base, values of patients and carers and clinical expertise (Heginbotham, 2012).
There have been several reports arguing for the need for significant changes to CAMHS services. These include: Future in Mind, the final report of the Children and Young People’s Health and Well-Being Taskforce (DoH, 2015) and the final report of the National CAMHS Review (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, 2008). Discrepancies are repeatedly highlighted between what is offered and what young people and their parents want. There seems to be a fundamental question regarding what the role of CAMHS is in the UK in 2015.
CAMHS services are multi-disciplinary teams working with several different groups and agencies including children and young people, parents and carers, GP practices, schools and social services. This makes determining the role of CAMHS complex as different groups are likely to have different values, experiences and expectations. We aim to explore the commonalities and differences in values between these groups and to what extent there is a shared understanding of a role for CAMHS.
Our findings will be vital for commissioners of CAMHS services to better understand and reflect on the complexities of their decision making process and will be relevant whether or not they are explicitly using a Values-Based commissioning model.(Refs: see A12)REC name
Wales REC 7
REC reference
15/WA/0293
Date of REC Opinion
27 Aug 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion