Developing a co‑produced, digital, self‑led version of the Brief Psychosocial Intervention (BPI) to provide rapid support for young people with mood‑related mental health difficulties while they wait for Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services (CYPMHS).
Why is the research needed?
The Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services (CYPMHS) provides treatment to young people with poor mental health. Referrals increased by 47% in 2021-22, and waiting times can go up to 20 weeks for an initial assessment before another 20-week wait. Waiting months or even years to receive depression treatment within mental health services can significantly impact young people's future wellbeing and outcomes. Months or even years without support for depression can have a profound impact on young people’s wellbeing, development, and long‑term outcomes. It is therefore essential that young people receive accessible, effective support while they wait for specialist services.
What are we doing?
We aim to offer an intervention for young people on the waiting list so that support is provided sooner, meaning there could be a reduction in distress and hopefully mean they require less treatment. We are creating a digital version of Brief Psychosocial Intervention (BPI), a NICE-approved depression treatment. Young people with depression and low mood will have access to the web app while they are on the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Service (CYPMHS) waiting list. The app will have self-led modules which encourage positive social and personal behaviours, good habits, and education about the mind.
The project is organised into four Work Packages. Work Package 1 involves interviews and focus groups with young people, parents/carers, and CYPMHS clinicians to explore their experiences and gather their views on how the app could be used. Participants will be recruited from two NHS Trusts. Work Package 2 consists of co‑design sessions with the advisory groups and software engineers to collaboratively develop the app. Work Package 3 is an initial evaluation of the prototype with ten young people from two NHS clinics to assess whether the app functions as intended, is easy to use, and is safe and acceptable. Finally, Work Package 4 is a pilot study to test the app in practice. Young people on the waiting list will be allocated either to usual care or to usual care plus access to the app. This phase will assess the feasibility of recruitment, the completion of the digital BPI, and the cost‑effectiveness of the intervention.
How are we working with communities, services and organisations?
We have established advisory groups with young people and parents/carers. These groups are working closely with the research team to co‑develop study materials, review emerging findings, and support the effective communication of results.
We are creating the web app with young people, many who have lived experience of waiting lists, as well as parents/carers of young people who have been on waiting lists. Young people and parents/carers form our two advisory groups, who we meet with every 3-4 months (please also see the webpage here for more information on co-design). We also work directly with two NHS Trusts, both of whom use BPI in their services.
What will the impact and benefits of this research be?
This study will show the effectiveness of using this app to offer support while young people are waiting to access CYPMHS services, which will inform a larger scale pilot trial. We hope this app will reduce distress while waiting, and reduce support needed after waiting. While there are many self-led mental health apps, this is the first that is evidence-based and co-produced with young people.
What do we have planned for knowledge mobilisation and implementation?
The feasibility pilot trial (Work Package 4) will help us understand whether young people are willing and motivated to use a web app while they are on the waiting list, and how any barriers to engagement might be addressed. In preparation for the trial, we have been meeting with CYPMHS teams across the two NHS Trusts to gather clinicians’ and managers’ views on the project and its potential for implementation within services, building on the insights we collected through interviews in Work Package 1. We are also working closely with partners who specialise in innovation and implementation at The Foundation for Young People’s Mental Health (YPMH).
In addition, we will present our findings in academic papers and at conferences alongside developing digital support resources, including blogs and podcasts.
Related papers, outputs and resources
Read the related book, titled 'Brief Psychosocial Intervention for Adolescents. Keep it Simple; Do it Well'
Read the related paper, titled 'Cognitive behavioural therapy and short-term psychoanalytical psychotherapy versus a brief psychosocial intervention in adolescents with unipolar major depressive disorder (IMPACT): a multicentre, pragmatic, observer-blind, randomised controlled superiority trial'
See the project webpage on the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) Cambridge website
Read the plain english summary here
- We will develop a digital application that young people can use individually as support to treatment while on a waiting list.
- A template of how digital BPI can be used safely within CYMPHS.
Who is involved?
- Chief Investigator: Professor Tamsin Ford, University of Cambridge
- Senior Research Associate Investigator: Dr Anne-Marie Burn, University of Cambridge
- Research Assistant: Dominique Grohmann, University of Cambridge
- Research Associate: Dr Helen Casey, University of Cambridge
- Statistician: Dr Simon White, University of Cambridge
- Director of Cambridge BPI: Professor Ian Goodyer, Cambridge BPI
- Director of Cambridge BPI: Dr Raphael Kelvin, Cambridge BPI
- Norwich CTU Research Lead: Dr Poll-Anna Ashford, University of East Anglia
- Norwich CTU Trial Co-ordinator: Lauren Ooi, University of East Anglia
- Norwich CTU Database Programmer: Cecile Guillard, University of East Anglia
Get in contact
Contact the project team at waitless@medschl.cam.ac.uk.
