Views and experiences of Intensive Community Treatment
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Intensive Community Treatment as an alternative to inpatient admission: a thematic analysis of the experiences of adolescents with severe psychiatric disorders and their parents or carers
IRAS ID
300972
Contact name
Hannah Wilkinson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
The existing literature evaluating Intensive Community Treatment for severe psychiatric disorders in young people has relied on quantitative outcomes such as number of incidents of self-harm, length of stay in hospital, and cost to healthcare providers. The views and experiences of service users have not been thoroughly explored.
This study proposes to fill this gap in the literature as the first qualitative exploration of Intensive Community Treatment for young people’s mental health. Our study will consult those accessing this service: adolescents with acute mental health needs and their caregivers. Qualitative research will enable us to draw out their experiences in rich, narrative depth. Thematic analysis will enable us to identify common themes between adolescents and between their caregivers. In this way, our results have the potential to shed light on which elements of Community Treatment are effective and where improvements could be made. This has significant implications for the care that future service users receive. Increasing numbers of healthcare providers are seeking to adopt an Intensive Community Treatment model as an alternative to inpatient admission. It is hoped that our findings will guide the design and delivery of services so that they are patient-centred and better able to support families’ needs.
REC name
London - Hampstead Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/LO/0774
Date of REC Opinion
4 Nov 2021
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion