Notions of home within an adolescent inpatient unit
Research type
Research Study
Full title
‘A home by any other name? A research study on the notions of home within an adolescent psychiatric inpatient unit and the subsequent implications for staff training.’
IRAS ID
208725
Contact name
Hannah J Sherbersky
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Exeter
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 3 months, 20 days
Research summary
Tier 4 child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) aim to meet the needs of children and young people with the most complex, severe or persistent mental health problems. Treatment within residential tier 4 inpatient units carries unique challenges. Whilst removal of a child with severe emotional difficulties from their home into an inpatient unit has potential benefits; (separation from possible negative influences in the family, access to an intensive treatment programme), the benefits must be weighed against the potential harm and negative effects of such a decision (Hersov, 1998). Most young people are admitted from and discharged back to their homes. This study investigates if and how young people, their family/carers and staff talk about the tier 4 unit as ‘home’, and explores the possible clinical implications for treatment and staff training.
The study will explore how some concepts; such as ‘leaving home’ and a ‘secure base’ (Byng-Hall, 2008), have a bearing on the admission, treatment and discharge of a young person.
These findings in turn, have implications for staff training. As the Programme Lead for the Children and Young People’s Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (CYP IAPT) Tier 4 project, I will also be drawing on the research findings to inform a staff training programme.
One 12 bedded generic psychiatric adolescent inpatient unit has been chosen.
I will conduct a series of focus groups with three distinct participant groups on the unit;
1) Current patients on the unit
2) The families/carers of these young people
3) Current staff – drawn from the multi-disciplinary team
I will conduct a qualitative analysis to understand the different way in which people describe the unit and home. Data will be analysed and comparisons and links will be made between these three distinct groups.
Timescale – focus groups will be conducted over a period of 3 – 6 months.REC name
West Midlands - Black Country Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/WM/0361
Date of REC Opinion
18 Oct 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion