scholarly journals A Mixed-Methods Realist Evaluation of the Implementation and Impact of Community Forensic CAMHS to Manage Risk for Young People With Forensic and Mental Health Needs: Study Protocol

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Lane ◽  
Sophie D'Souza ◽  
Maria Livanou ◽  
Jenna Jacob ◽  
Wendy Riches ◽  
...  

Introduction: Young people in contact with forensic child and adolescent mental health services present with more complex needs than young people in the general population. Recent policy has led to the implementation of new workstreams and programmes to improve service provision for this cohort. This paper aims to present the protocol for a national study examining the impact and implementation of Community Forensic Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (F:CAMHS).Methods and analysis: The study will use a mixed-methods Realist Evaluation design. Quantitative service activity and feedback data will be collected from all 13 sites, as well as questionnaires from staff. Non-participant observations and qualitative interviews will be conducted with staff, young people and parents/guardians from four focus study sites. An economic evaluation will examine whether Community F:CAMHS provides good value for money. The results will be triangulated to gain an in-depth understanding of young people's, parents/guardians' and staff experiences of the service.Ethics and dissemination: Ethical approval was granted by the Health Research Association and UCL Ethics. The results will be disseminated via project reports, feedback to sites, peer-reviewed journal publications and conference presentations.

BMJ Open ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. e024230 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Rocks ◽  
Melissa Stepney ◽  
Margaret Glogowska ◽  
Mina Fazel ◽  
Apostolos Tsiachristas

IntroductionIncreased demand for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), alongside concerns that services should be better commissioned to meet the needs of the most vulnerable, has contributed to a requirement to transform services to improve accessibility, quality of care and health outcomes. Following the submission of government-mandated transformation plans for CAMHS, services in England are changing in how, where and by whom they are delivered. This protocol describes the research methods to be applied to understand CAMHS transformations and evaluate the impact on the use of mental health services, patient care, satisfaction, health outcomes and health resource utilisation costs.Methods and analysisA mixed-methods approach will be taken in an observational retrospective study of CAMHS provided by a large National Health Service (NHS) mental health trust in South-East England (Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust). Quantitative research will include descriptive analysis of routinely collected data, with difference-in-differences analysis supplemented with propensity score matching performed to assess the impact of CAMHS transformations from 2015 onwards. An economic evaluation will be conducted from a healthcare perspective to provide commissioners with indications of value for money. Qualitative research will include observations of services and interviews with key stakeholders including CAMHS staff, service users and guardians, to help identify mechanisms leading to changes in service delivery, as well as barriers and enabling factors in this phase of transformation.Ethics and disseminationThis project has been registered with NHS Oxford Health Foundation Trust as a service evaluation. Informed consent will be sought from all stakeholders partaking in interviews according to good clinical practice. A local data sharing protocol will govern the transfer of quantitative data. Study findings will be published in professional journals for NHS managers and peer-reviewed scientific journals. They will be discussed in seminars targeting CAMHS providers, managers and commissioners and presented at scientific conferences.


2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 204-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. McGrath

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the commonest disorder presenting to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in Ireland. This article considers the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the provision of mental health services for young people with ADHD with specific reference to the difficulties that have been experienced in ADMiRE, a specialist ADHD service in Dublin, since the outbreak of Covid-19 in Ireland. Current guidelines and alternative ways of ensuring adequate service provision are discussed. Restrictions to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 are likely to continue for many months, and child and adolescent mental health services need to find new ways to provide a sustainable service to young people in Ireland. There is a growing evidence base for the use of telepsychiatry in the assessment and management of ADHD. Factors that should be considered when developing a telepsychiatry service for children and adolescents with ADHD are highlighted.


BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. e027339 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hristina Petkova ◽  
Mima Simic ◽  
Dasha Nicholls ◽  
Tamsin Ford ◽  
A Matthew Prina ◽  
...  

ObjectivesThis study aimed to estimate the incidence of DSM5 anorexia nervosa in young people in contact with child and adolescent mental health services in the UK and Ireland.DesignObservational, surveillance study, using the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Surveillance System, involving monthly reporting by child and adolescent psychiatrists between 1st February 2015 and 30th September 2015.SettingThe study was based in the UK and Ireland.ParticipantsClinician-reported data on young people aged 8–17 in contact with child and adolescent mental health services for a first episode of anorexia nervosa.Main outcome measuresAnnual incidence rates (IRs) estimated as confirmed new cases per 100 000 population at risk.Results305 incident cases of anorexia nervosa were reported over the 8-month surveillance period and assessed as eligible for inclusion. The majority were young women (91%), from England (70%) and of white ethnicity (92%). Mean age was 14.6 years (±1.66) and mean percentage of median expected body mass index for age and sex was 83.23% (±10.99%). The overall IR, adjusted for missing data, was estimated to be 13.68 per 100 000 population (95% CI 12.88 to 14.52), with rates of 25.66 (95% CI 24.09 to 27.30) for young women and 2.28 (95% CI 1.84 to 2.79) for young men. Incidence increased steadily with age, peaking at 15 (57.77, 95% CI 50.41 to 65.90) for young women and 16 (5.14, 95% CI 3.20 to 7.83) for young men. Comparison with earlier estimates suggests IRs for children aged 12 and under have increased over the last 10 years.ConclusionThese results provide new estimates of the incidence of anorexia nervosa in young people. Service providers and commissioners should consider evidence to suggest an increase in incidence in younger children.Trial registration numberISRCTN12676087.


2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 301-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria I. Livanou ◽  
Vivek Furtado ◽  
Swaran P. Singh

Purpose This paper provides an overview of transitions across forensic child and adolescent mental health services in England and Wales. The purpose of this paper is to delineate the national secure services system for young people in contact with the youth justice system. Design/methodology/approach This paper reviews findings from the existing literature of transitions across forensic child and adolescent mental health services, drawing attention to present facilitators and barriers to optimal transition. The authors examine the infrastructure of current services and highlight gaps between child and adult service continuity and evaluate the impact of poor transitions on young offenders’ mental health and wellbeing. Findings Young offenders experience a broad range of difficulties, from the multiple interfaces with the legal system, untreated mental health problems, and poor transition to adult services. Barriers such as long waiting lists, lack of coordination between services and lack of transition preparation impede significantly smooth transitions. Research limitations/implications The authors need to develop, test and evaluate models of transitional care that improve mental health and wellbeing of this group. Practical implications Mapping young offenders’ care pathway will help to understand their needs and also to impact current policy and practice. Key workers in forensic services should facilitate the transition process by developing sustainable relationships with the young person and creating a safe clinical environment. Originality/value Transition of care from forensic child and adolescent mental health services is a neglected area. This paper attempts to highlight the nature and magnitude of the problems at the transition interface in a forensic context.


2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 183-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Hoadley ◽  
Freya Smith ◽  
Cecilia Wan ◽  
Adrian Falkov

Mental illness in children and young people is increasing in frequency and complexity, is emerging earlier and is persisting into adulthood. This is a global issue with implications for research, policy and practice. Children and young people require the experience of safe, nurturing relationships for optimal lifelong outcomes. Despite awareness of this in Child and Adolescent Mental Health services, a focus on the relational context in which children and young people present is not universal. A challenge in family focused practice is to ensure that no individual’s voice is ‘too loud’ and that children and young people’s voices are heard. This article illustrates how a balance between individual and systems understanding can be achieved in therapeutic work by incorporating the voices of children and young people and concerns of other family members. This article describes an approach to improving family focused practice in a public Child and Adolescent Mental Health service. Use of The Family Model, as a family focused practice tool, is presented across three service settings. The Family Model intervention is briefly described, outlining the way in which it supports collaborative practice and assists clinicians to achieve the balance described above. Vignettes will demonstrate how children and young people’s voices are explicitly incorporated in formulating mental health issues with two generations to generate developmentally informed care plans.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document