Does digital technology have a role in Occupational Therapy groups ?

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Exploring adolescent views and needs on using digital technology in occupational therapy treatment groups in a Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service.

• IRAS ID

  251144

• Contact name

  Cara Maddison

• Contact email

  ntxcm15@nottingham.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  University of Nottingham

• Duration of Study in the UK

  0 years, 3 months, 31 days

• Research summary

  One in ten school aged children have a diagnosable mental health disorder (Green et al 2004). Increase in referrals, long waiting times and lack of budgets, leaves current methods of care struggling to meet demand. Digital technology is considered to offer a transformative solution to health care. Eventhough adolescents are big users of digital technology, it raises an important question to whether they want digital technology to form part their mental health care and if so, how should it be integrated or blended into Occupational Therapy group treatments, to meet adolescent mental health care needs?

  Aim: To identify and understand the barriers and benefits on how digital technologies may be used in the delivery of occupational therapy treatment groups.

  Objectives
  Explore viewpoints that influence young people’s use of digital technology
  Identify times when face to face interaction is sought and valued.
  Explore models of blending digital technology with face to face care for occupational therapy group treatments.

  Design
  Semi structured face to face interviews with up to 10 adolescent service users, recruited from Leicestershire Partnership Trust Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS).
  Interviews will last up to an hour long and to facilitate ideas and discussion, creative materials of pens,paper and pictures of digital technology will be used if required.

  Inclusion criteria for participants;
  Young person aged between 11-15 years old, Male or Female
  Have received parental/carer consent to take part.
  Participant gives informed assent to take part.
  Able to communicate in English.
  Are a patient of tier 3 Specialist CAMHS
  Have received (within last 6 months)or currently attending or on a waiting list for an occupational therapy group treatment.

  Exclusion criteria:
  •Parents/carers of participant do not provide consent.
  •Participant unable or does not give assent to take part in project
  •Receiving tier 4 specialist inpatient mental health care from CAMHS

  Interviews will be audio recorded and transcribed, and the data analysed using
  Thematic analysis.

• REC name

  East Midlands - Leicester South Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  19/EM/0106

• Date of REC Opinion

  7 May 2019

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion