TAG-Teens; Talking About Groups, with Teenagers (V2)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring how Therapeutic Groups are Experienced by Adolescents who have been Exposed to Developmental Trauma
IRAS ID
357349
Contact name
Katie Talbot
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Edinburgh
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 9 months, 1 days
Research summary
The study will explore how adolescents who have been exposed to Developmental Trauma (DT) experience therapeutic groups. DT refers to experiences of childhood abuse and/or neglect. It is a widespread problem among Scottish adolescents. Because DT happens early in an individual's life, their mental health and development is often negatively impacted across their lifespan. Therapeutic groups for adolescents are usually targeted at 12-17 year olds to provide support with mental health and wellbeing. Little is known, however, about what these are like for adolescents who have experienced DT. Engagement in these groups is often poor for these young people, likely due to a range of challenges which are unique to this population such as difficulty relating to professionals and peers. Understanding the user experience in this context may help the NHS and wider services design and implement therapeutic groups for this population which supports engagement and improves individual outcomes. A sample of 12-17 year old participants in Scotland, recruited from NHS Fife, who have experienced DT will undertake face-to-face interviews. During these, they will be asked to share their experiences of therapeutic groups, what they think is good and bad about getting involved in them, and what makes involvement in them easier or harder. The study will last approximately 1 year in total and participants will be involved for around 1 hour and 30 minutes. The information participants share will be analysed using a qualitative research approach called ‘Reflexive Thematic Analysis’ to uncover themes about this topic. These themes will guide NHS and other services in offering therapeutic groups for adolescents who have experienced DT that meet their unique needs.
REC name
London - Surrey Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
26/LO/0279
Date of REC Opinion
22 May 2026
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion