The Looking Forward Project
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A pragmatic adaptive trial of hope-focused mentoring to prevent mental ill-health and improve social outcomes for young women who are not in education, employment or training in deprived coastal areas
IRAS ID
327723
Contact name
Clio Berry
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Sussex
ISRCTN Number
ISRCTN52288029
Duration of Study in the UK
4 years, 5 months, 31 days
Research summary
About 14% of UK 16-25-year-olds are not in education, employment, or training (NEET). The number of NEET young women (NEET-YW) is significantly growing. NEET young women have more mental health and social problems. Our research suggests that increasing hope can help. Hope is as a mindset focused on meaningful goals. We worked with NEET-YW to create an intervention called HOPEFUL. HOPEFUL aims to increase hope and time spent in meaningful activities that benefit mental health and involves support from a youth-initiated mentor. This means NEET-YW choose someone they know and trust (e.g., a relative). Mentors receive training and supervision.
We will work in coastal Sussex, Kent, and Norfolk. First, we will do a small trial with 70 NEET-YW to check they want to participate and can identify a mentor. They will keep receiving standard support they already get. Half will be randomly selected to receive HOPEFUL. The others will be given a HOPEFUL workbook after the trial. We will monitor how many NEET-YW and mentors agree to participate, provide data, and complete HOPEFUL. We will interview 10 NEET-YW and mentors about what they liked and disliked.If the first part works well, we will do a larger trial with 248 NEET-YW. We will compare HOPEFUL to standard support in improving hope, wellbeing, mental health, activity levels, and help-seeking. We will collect data using surveys at the start, and then after 16 weeks and 12 months. We will add the survey data from part one into part two, unless we change the intervention or research design. We will ask mentors and NEET-YW about their relationship. We will interview 16 NEET-YW and mentors about HOPEFUL. We will calculate the cost of HOPEFUL, its effects, and its value for money. We will share our results with the government and organisations working with NEET-YW.
REC name
London - Surrey Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/LO/0521
Date of REC Opinion
12 Aug 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion