FACT: Feasibility trial to assess ADHD in the CJS via QbTest

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Using an objective computer task (QbTest) to aid the identification of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in young people in the criminal justice secure estate: A feasibility randomised controlled trial

• IRAS ID

  238947

• Contact name

  Prathiba Chitsabesan

• Contact email

  pchitsabesan@nhs.net

• Sponsor organisation

  Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust

• Duration of Study in the UK

  2 years, 0 months, 1 days

• Research summary

  Summary of Research
  Young people in prison are more likely to have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). To help us decide if a young person has ADHD information from parents/teachers is helpful. Often this information is not available for young people in prison and therefore they miss getting the help they need. This means that some young people can be aggressive or experience a greater number of physical and mental health problems later in life.\nOur study will try to identify young people with ADHD using a computer task called QbTest which does not need information from parents/teachers. This has not been tried before in prison with young people and we need to test out how we will go about using it by doing a small randomised controlled trial.\nPart 1 of the study will involve 60 young people from one prison. Half (30) will be randomly selected to QbTest in addition to normal care, and 30 to normal care alone. This will help us to understand if the larger trial can be done, how willing young people are to take part and how they feel about the study.\nIn Part 2 we will interview young people and health professionals to see what they think about QbTest and how it might be used in the real world. We will work alongside patients and members of the public in the study. They will help us decide how the study will be done and make sure the views of young people are fully included.>\n\n\n\nAt the end of the study we will write up our findings and decide if a large\ntrial can be done. The larger trial could lead to better ways prisons can\nidentify young people with ADHD and this could help more young people\nget the help they need.\n

  Summary of Results
  Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is common in young people in prison. However, it can be difficult to get hold of the information needed to make a diagnosis. QbTest is a computer task that can reduce the time to diagnosis. We ran a small study to see if it would be possible to run a larger study of QbTest for ADHD in prison.
  Method : We saw 60 boys aged 15 to 18 with signs of ADHD. They were randomly selected with 30 getting normal care and
  30 getting normal care and QbTest. We did questionnaires at the start, three months and six months into the study and asked young people and staff if they felt QbTest could be used in a prison setting.
  Main findings : We were able to see all 60 boys in 12 months as we had planned, and the boys were happy to take part. We saw
  48/60 boys (78%) at 3 months, but only 19 (32%) at six months. Staff proved much harder to collect information from. Twenty boys sat the QbTest but 10 boys did not complete it. Staff were positive about using QbTest, but the boys had mixed feelings. The length of time for staff to decide if the boys had ADHD took much longer than we expected in both groups.
  Conclusion : We think that a larger trial of QbTest in prison is possible, but we would need to help the staff to make normal care a bit better first. In the next 12 months we will be applying for this larger trial.
  Outputs : One study has been printed and others will be submitted. We have been to conferences to talk about the study, with more planned. We have worked with the boys and staff and they helped write up these findings.

• REC name

  Wales REC 3

• REC reference

  18/WA/0347

• Date of REC Opinion

  3 Dec 2018

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion