Transforming the mental health treatment of children with epilepsy
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Transforming the mental health treatment of children and young people with epilepsy
IRAS ID
235815
Contact name
Roz Shafran
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust & The UCL Institute of Child Health
Duration of Study in the UK
5 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
Background
At least half of young people with epilepsy also have mental health problems like depression, anxiety and behaviour problems. The mental health problems impact so much on all areas of life including family, friendships and education that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends that the psychological needs of young people with epilepsy should always be considered. However, existing epilepsy services are separate from mental health services so mental health problems aren’t treated as well as they could be.The proposed treatment
There is an exciting new psychological treatment for childhood anxiety, depression and behavioural problems. This Modular Approach to Therapy for Children (‘MATCH’) can be given within epilepsy services, by staff without special mental health training and over the telephone/Skype which many families prefer and which reduces costs to the NHS so more children can be treated nationwide. The treatment is flexible so can be given to parents and/or the young person according to age and type of problem.This application is the first stage of the programme of research only. In the first stage of the programme of research we will:
1. Develop a new module so the treatment meets the special mental health needs of young people with epilepsy. In this first stage, we will recruit approximately 20 families (including children and young people with epilepsy and their parents/adult carers).In future stages, we will:
2. Develop a training package for NHS staff to deliver this treatment within epilepsy services.
3. Assess nearly 1200 young people with epilepsy. Those people with significant mental health problems will be invited to either a) receive the new treatment plus their usual care for mental health problems or b) continue to receive their usual care. We will compare the two groups after treatment (six months) to see which group does better.
4. Talk to young people and families to understand what treatment was like and how to improve it.REC name
East of England - Essex Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/EE/0040
Date of REC Opinion
1 May 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion