Parents/carers' experiences of eating disorder paediatric admissions
Research type
Research Study
Full title
How do parents and carers of young people with eating disorders experience therapeutic admissions to a general paediatric ward? An interpretative phenomenological analysis.
IRAS ID
363596
Contact name
Sarah Crookall
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Staffordshire
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 3 months, 6 days
Research summary
Some young people with eating disorders are admitted to hospital because of physical health concerns. There is some evidence that, in addition to physical health support, intervening with families to support them in caring for their child during their stay in hospital may promote recovery and reduce admissions to longer term mental health hospitals. In Stoke-on-Trent, the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) for young people with eating disorders works with parents and carers during admissions. The service aims to support them to look after their child while they are in hospital and to prepare them to go home. It is important to understand how parents and carers experience this support so that we can learn what may help families during this difficult time. We hope that understanding parents’ and carers’ experiences will help to improve the care provided by specialist eating disorder services.
To explore parents’ and carers’ experiences in depth, the study will take a qualitative approach, meaning that a small number of participants will be asked about their experiences in detail. Parents and carers of young people who have been discharged from the paediatric ward and remain under the care of CAMHS will be invited to participate in the study. Interviews may last up to 90 minutes and will explore parents’ and carers’ experiences of their child’s admission, the intervention they received, and the impact of the admission.
REC name
Wales REC 6
REC reference
26/WA/0109
Date of REC Opinion
22 Jun 2026
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion