Teen Online Problem-Solving in the UK (TOPS-UK) - A feasibility study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The clinical and cost-effectiveness of Teen Online Problem Solving for adolescents who have survived an acquired brain injury in the UK (TOPS- UK): A feasibility study
IRAS ID
207736
Contact name
Anna Adlam
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 3 months, 31 days
Research summary
In the UK a child injures their brain every 30 minutes through accident or illness. Most survive but this can have a devastating and life-long impact on the child and their family. Brain injury can affect thinking, emotion, behaviour and relationships, which can impair the child’s ability to cope with school, home life, future employment and independence. Families are also more likely to experience mental health difficulties and parental separation, which can further affect how well a child recovers. Members of the research team have developed an internet-based treatment for children who have survived such brain injuries.This teaches problem-solving skills in response to specific everyday difficulties and is used at home for 10-16 weeks with weekly therapist support. Research on children with traumatic brain injury suggests that those who completed treatment, compared to those who were given general self-help, improved in their ability to plan, organise, problem-solve, and manage mood and behaviour. Families also experienced less stress and better mental health.These questions remain: will the treatment have similar benefit for all types of brain injury (e.g.stroke, infection, tumour); will it have other benefits (e.g.improved quality of life) and does it offer value for money for the NHS? Before conducting a large multi-site study to answer these questions, we aim to undertake a smaller feasibility study to find out whether we can identify and recruit adolescents and families via the NHS and if they find the treatment and research measures acceptable. We will recruit 50 adolescents with acquired brain injury and executive function difficulties, and their parents, from four NHS Trusts and randomly allocate them to receive the TOPS-UK online intervention plus usual treatment, or usual treatment only. Study duration for each family is about 9 months, with online questionnaire follow-up for all parents and children and qualitative telephone interviews.
REC name
South West - Cornwall & Plymouth Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/SW/0083
Date of REC Opinion
5 Jun 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion