Single Session Support Study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Single Session Support for Children and Young People Referred with Mental Health Presentations
IRAS ID
359848
Contact name
Sarah Parry
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
Many children and young people (CYP) referred to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) face long waiting times, which can worsen their mental health. However, research shows that some CYP may benefit from a single therapeutic session. This study explores whether a one-off “Single-Session Intervention” (SSI) can be a useful and effective way to support these young people.
This research will prepare the ground for a larger study by completing three key tasks:
Reviewing the Evidence: The team will carry out a review of previous research to understand what types of SSIs have been used for young people, how they are delivered, and how effective they are.
Co-Design with Young People and Families: Using a method called Experience-Based Co-Design, the research team will work closely with young people, parents, carers, and professionals to design an SSI that is practical, inclusive, and meets real needs. Young people with lived experience will play a central role in shaping the intervention.
Surveying Mental Health Services: The team will investigate which UK services currently use SSIs and what these look like, including their benefits, drawbacks, and whether they collect feedback from users.
The findings will be shared through podcasts, videos, easy-to-read summaries, and more. The results will inform a future application to test the SSI more thoroughly in a larger trial.
This research is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and led by Cardiff University and Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust. The study will run for 12 months from August 2025 and involve multiple NHS and academic partners across the UK.
REC name
East Midlands - Nottingham 2 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/EM/0175
Date of REC Opinion
23 Jul 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion