Can an Emoji a Day Keep the Doctor Away? An Explorative Mixed-Methods Feasibility Study to Develop a Self-Help App for Youth With Mental Health Problems

IntroductionAnxiety difficulties are among the most common mental health problems in childhood. Despite this, few children access evidence-based interventions, and school may be an ideal setting to improve children’s access to treatment. This article describes the design, methods and expected data collection of the Identifying Child Anxiety Through Schools – Identification to Intervention (iCATS i2i) study, which aims to develop acceptable school-based procedures to identify and support child anxiety difficulties.Methods and analysisiCATS i2i will use a mixed-methods approach to codesign and deliver a set of procedures—or ‘pathway’—to improve access to evidence-based intervention for child anxiety difficulties through primary schools in England. The study will consist of four stages, initially involving in-depth interviews with parents, children, school staff and stakeholders (stage 1) to inform the development of the pathway. The pathway will then be administered in two primary schools, including screening, feedback to parents and the offer of treatment where indicated (stage 2), with participating children, parents and school staff invited to provide feedback on their experience (stages 3 and 4). Data will be analysed using Template Analysis.Ethics and disseminationThe iCATS i2i study was approved by the University of Oxford’s Research Ethics Committee (REF R64620/RE001). It is expected that this codesign study will lead on to a future feasibility study and, if indicated, a randomised controlled trial. The findings will be disseminated in several ways, including via lay summary report, publication in academic journals and presentation at conferences. By providing information on child, parent, school staff and other stakeholder’s experiences, we anticipate that the findings will inform the development of an acceptable evidence-based pathway for identification and intervention for children with anxiety difficulties in primary schools and may also inform broader approaches to screening for and treating youth mental health problems outside of clinics.

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COMmunity PARticipation through Education (COMPARE): effectiveness of supported education for students with mental health problems, a mixed methods study – study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BMC Psychiatry ◽

10.1186/s12888-021-03329-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Jacomijn Hofstra ◽

Jorien van der Velde ◽

Petra Jannette Havinga ◽

Lies Korevaar

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Mixed Methods ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Health Problems ◽

Secondary Outcome ◽

Study Success ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Supported Education

Abstract Background The onset of mental health problems generally occurs between the ages of 16 and 23 – the years in which young people follow post-secondary education, which is a major channel in our society to prepare for a career and enhance life goals. Several studies have shown that students with mental health problems have a higher chance of early school leaving. Supported Education services have been developed to support students with mental health problems to remain at school. The current project aims to study the effect of an individually tailored Supported Education intervention on remaining at school, study success, and satisfaction of students with mental health problems studying at an institute for intermediate vocational education and a university of applied sciences in the Netherlands. Methods/design The design combines quantitative research (Randomized Controlled Trial; RCT) with qualitative research (monitoring, interviews, focus groups). One hundred students with mental health problems recruited from the two educational institutes will be randomly allocated to either the intervention or control condition. The students in the intervention condition receive the Supported Education intervention given by a Supported Education specialist, the students in the active control condition receive support as usual plus advice from a trained staff member on potential supportive resources regarding studying with mental health problems. The primary outcome ‘remaining at school’, and the secondary outcome ‘study success’ will be determined using data from the school’s administration. The secondary outcome ‘student satisfaction’ and other variables that will be studied in a more exploratory way, such as self-efficacy and study skills, will be determined through online questionnaires at baseline, at 6 and at 12 months follow-up. Focus groups and interviews with the students and Supported Education specialists will be carried out to complement the trial. Discussion This RCT is the first to assess the effect of Supported Education on remaining at school, next to study success and student satisfaction among students with mental health problems. The use of a mixed-methods design will result in a thorough evaluation of the effect of the intervention. Issues regarding the influx and possible attrition of students in the follow-up are discussed. Trial registration The study was registered with Trialregister.nl, no. NL8349, date registered: February 4th 2020. Register name: Community participation through education. Effectiveness of Supported Education for youth with mental health problems, a mixed methods study – Study protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial. Protocol Version: 3, date: May 28th, 2021.

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Using guided self-help to treat common mental health problems: The Westminster Primary Care Psychology Service

London Journal of Primary Care ◽

10.1080/17571472.2009.11493246 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 61-64 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Louise Falbe-Hansen ◽

Corin Le Huray ◽

Brendar Phull ◽

Clare Shakespeare ◽

Jon Wheatley

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Primary Care ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Health Problems ◽

Primary Care Psychology ◽

Self Help ◽

Common Mental Health Problems ◽

Psychology Service

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Green walking groups: A mixed-methods review of the mental health outcomes for adults with mental health problems

British Journal of Occupational Therapy ◽

10.1177/0308022619888880 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 83 (3) ◽

pp. 162-171

Author(s):

Tom Swinson ◽

Jennifer Wenborn ◽

Paul Sugarhood

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mixed Methods ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Clinical Decision Making ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Clinical Decision ◽

Evidence Base ◽

Health Problems ◽

Mental Health Outcomes ◽

Natural Environments

Introduction Evidence suggests group walking in natural environments is more beneficial to the general population’s mental health than walking indoors, in urban environments, and alone. Such ‘green walking groups’ have been suggested as an occupational therapy intervention that could be suitable for adults with mental health problems. However, there have been no reviews of the mental health outcomes of participating in green walking groups for this population. Method A mixed-methods literature review was conducted. A range of databases was systematically searched electronically. Papers that met pre-defined inclusion criteria were selected, critically appraised, and qualitative and quantitative data were extracted. Thematic analysis was used to identify key qualitative outcomes. Findings Six papers were included and eight mental health outcomes identified. The evidence suggests participants can experience connections with other people, connections with nature, and a sense of freedom. There is some limited evidence to support improvements to mood, self-esteem, reflection on life tasks, and symptoms of depression, with mixed evidence for experiencing a sense of achievement. Conclusion This review can be used to build the evidence base for the link between occupation and mental health, and inform the clinical decision-making of occupational therapists, who are well-placed to design and implement green walking groups.

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