The MICA Study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The Mentalization Intervention for Children and Adolescents (MICA) study: A randomised controlled trial of support for aggressive and violent behaviour
IRAS ID
357416
Contact name
Julian Edbrooke-Childs
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Anna Freud
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 5 months, 30 days
Research summary
The MICA Study is a research project that has been designed to work out how helpful mentalisation based therapy is. This is a new type of support that helps young people make sense of their own behaviours and feelings, and those of others. It involves meeting regularly with a support worker and parents/carers can be involved in some meetings too. We hope that this new type of support will help young people stop acting aggressively/violently.
This project will be delivered in Forensic Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (FCAMHS) in England. This service supports some of the most vulnerable young people in the country, who have involvement from other professionals including the Youth Justice System.
The aim of the research is to make the support better for young people who use these services. In this research, we will be doing a randomised controlled trail. This means half the young people will get the usual support from FCAMHS, and half will get the usual support plus the new support. This will help us compare mentalisation based therapy to the support FCAMHS usually provides. We will then know the best way to support young people with their aggressive/violent behaviours.
To start with, young people will answer a questionnaire. Following this, they will receive either usual support or usual support plus MBT for six months. After this, they will answer a questionnaire again. We will ask some young people for an optional interview to share their thoughts on this research. We will ask all young people aged 10-17 years to take part as long as the can speak and understand English and FCAMHS in England have been asked to support them. Some young people might not want to take part in this research and that will not change the support they receive.
REC name
London - City & East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/LO/0430
Date of REC Opinion
12 Jun 2025
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion