Mental health transitions: the move to adult services
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Mental Health Service Transitions: understandings and experiences in a secure forensic psychiatric setting
IRAS ID
165440
Contact name
Laura Chance
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
PSYC0704, Project reference number from sponsor
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 4 months, 2 days
Research summary
The present study will focus on the experience of transition within mental health from adolescent to adult services. Using qualitative methodology the study aims to explore both the service user and staff experience of transition in a secure psychiatric setting.
Transitions are a natural part of life and for most can be stressful and anxiety-provoking. However the addition of mental health problems, a complex background of instability and a forensic history can often make the transition to an adult service very difficult. Despite a lot of published guidelines about what a "good" transition should entail, often young people struggle with this move. There are gaps in the research looking into the experiences of young people and the staff supporting them during this difficult time period in inpatient mental health settings.
The research will be split into two parts.PART A: The target population are young service users who reside in a secure forensic environment who are at the stage where they will be moving to an adult placement. This study will examine the experience of “being in transition” by conducting in-depth interviews with young service users. The study will aim to interview around 6 service users who have been identified as in the stage of "transition" from the adolescent environment they reside in.
PART B: A second aim of the research is to explore staff experiences of transition within the same secure inpatient environment. Staff members who work regularly on the adolescent ward environments (n= 6) will also be interviewed, exploring more generally their experiences of young people transitioning from the service.
For both Part A and Part B, a topic guide will assist the researcher in gathering this information, asking key questions around concepts relating to transitions.REC name
East Midlands - Leicester South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/EM/0110
Date of REC Opinion
23 Apr 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion