Understanding Adolescent Suicidality
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Understanding Adolescent Suicidality: Following young people's journey through a psychoanalytic clinical service.
IRAS ID
288666
Contact name
Maxim de Sauma
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Brent Centre for Young People
Duration of Study in the UK
5 years, 0 months, 2 days
Research summary
Young people are disproportionately affected by suicide, and the impact of suicidality can be devastating at this crucial developmental stage. This study aims to examine young people's experiences of suicidality over time, following young people naturalistically through a psychotherapeutic treatment within a Young Person's Centre in North West London. Suicidality is an intentionally broad category and could involve suicidal behaviours, attempts, thoughts and feelings. Suicidality is a sensitive and complex area to investigate, and factors such as shame, stigma and denial can affect how people may report or discuss their experiences.Psychoanalytic research coupled with grounded theory analysis holds the potential to create a more in-depth understanding of suicidality. It is particularly important to work with the young person's subjective experiences, as well as analysing what happens in the therapeutic relationship, within the process of treatment over time. Standardised outcome measures will measure mood and suicidal behaviours at specific time points and also offer follow up at 6 months and 1 year after treatment. The study is longitudinal, following the young person through a course of adolescent psychoanalytic treatment, flexibly offered according to their needs ( 1-4 years potentially), within a well-established clinical centre for adolescents.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Leeds West Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/YH/0042
Date of REC Opinion
25 Feb 2021
REC opinion
Unfavourable Opinion