Equilibrium: An Intervention for Young People who Self-harm
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Equilibrium: An Intervention for Young People who Self-harm and Attempt Suicide in the context of a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service
IRAS ID
173231
Contact name
Terence Nice
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
North East London Foundation Trust
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 5 months, 1 days
Research summary
Equilibrium is a novel twelve session self-harm treatment programme that has been designed by Dr Terence Nice over many years of clinical practice. It has been developed for adolescents aged 13-17 who have been referred to a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) or Child and Young Persons Service (CHYPS) after an episode of self-harm or attempted suicide. It is a short term intervention, comprising 12 treatment sessions. The aims of this study are as follows:
Aim 1 - To capture the real world transactions of therapist, client and family in the context of a self-harm treatment programme entitled Equilibrium
2. Aim 2 - To develop an Equilibrium Manual for practitioners based upon the real world transactions of therapist, client and family
The first two sessions are dedicated to engaging the family and providing some psycho-educational guidance and addressing self-harming behaviours in the context of the family system. The young person is offered a further nine individual sessions with a final family/caregiver session to ensure family/caregiver support and change in reducing or extinguishing self-harming behaviours in young people. This pilot study will recruit 5-6 cases including young people and their families to test out the theoretical, clinical, and operational issues of the treatment model. These cases make high demands on the clinical workforce on a day to day basis in delivering assessment, treatment and care. The pilot study will serve to provide operational, treatment and clinical evidence for a feasibility study that would provisionally start in Spring 2022. The pilot study has been supported by research staff at the University of Kent and by the R&D department in NELFT. The research study has been in receipt of a PPI award, which positively encourages the participation of adults and young people who have suffered and recovered from self-harm or attempted suicide.
REC name
London - Bromley Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/LO/0298
Date of REC Opinion
6 May 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion