Clinical effectiveness of drop-in mental health services in paediatric healthcare settings: a non-randomised multi-site study for children, young people and their families
Abstract Background Despite the high prevalence of mental health disorders in children and young people with long-term health conditions, access to timely and effective treatment is often difficult. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of drop-in mental health services for young p...
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2025-04-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-025-12681-1 |
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| author | Anna Roach Sophie Bennett Isobel Heyman Anna Coughtrey Neha Batura Lina Gonzalez Nicki Astle Rebekah Coates Jessie Drinkwater Rebecca Evans Una Frederick Michael Groszmann Steve Jones Katie McDonnell Sarah Marley Amanda Mobley Abbie Murray Helena O’Sullivan Sarah Ormrod Nyah Patel Theo Prendegast Usha Rajalingam Venkat Reddy Ameenat Lola Solebo Isabella Stokes Emily Webster Rebecca Webster Gareth Vinton Roz Shafran |
| author_facet | Anna Roach Sophie Bennett Isobel Heyman Anna Coughtrey Neha Batura Lina Gonzalez Nicki Astle Rebekah Coates Jessie Drinkwater Rebecca Evans Una Frederick Michael Groszmann Steve Jones Katie McDonnell Sarah Marley Amanda Mobley Abbie Murray Helena O’Sullivan Sarah Ormrod Nyah Patel Theo Prendegast Usha Rajalingam Venkat Reddy Ameenat Lola Solebo Isabella Stokes Emily Webster Rebecca Webster Gareth Vinton Roz Shafran |
| author_sort | Anna Roach |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Despite the high prevalence of mental health disorders in children and young people with long-term health conditions, access to timely and effective treatment is often difficult. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of drop-in mental health services for young people with long-term health conditions and their families at six paediatric healthcare settings in England. Methods This was a prospective non-randomised single-arm multi-centre interventional study. Young people up to 25 years old with a long-term health condition, and their families were eligible. The primary outcome was the change in the total difficulties score on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire between baseline and 6 months. Interventions provided were standard evidence-based low intensity cognitive-behaviour therapy, onward referral or signposting. Secondary outcomes included quality of life, depression, anxiety, satisfaction with services and cost. Results Accessing the drop-in services led to significant reductions in emotional and behavioural symptoms (p < 0.01; Cohen’s d = 0.39) and improved quality of life (p < 0.01; Cohen’s d = 0.44). Parental depression and anxiety significantly improved (p < 0.01; Cohen’s d = 0.30 and d = 0.34). The average waiting time for an initial assessment was 13.42 days. High levels of satisfaction were reported. The cost per patient was approximately half the estimated cost of a typical course of psychological therapy. Conclusions Drop-in mental health services are effective and acceptable and can be delivered at low cost per patient for young people with long term conditions. This model of care is a feasible approach for increasing access to evidence-based mental health treatment in paediatric healthcare settings. Trial registration ISRCTN15063954, Registered on 9 December 2022. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a7f7f6bdc33d42b2afb33943360bea3b |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1472-6963 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
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| series | BMC Health Services Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-a7f7f6bdc33d42b2afb33943360bea3b2025-08-20T02:27:52ZengBMCBMC Health Services Research1472-69632025-04-0125111110.1186/s12913-025-12681-1Clinical effectiveness of drop-in mental health services in paediatric healthcare settings: a non-randomised multi-site study for children, young people and their familiesAnna Roach0Sophie Bennett1Isobel Heyman2Anna Coughtrey3Neha Batura4Lina Gonzalez5Nicki Astle6Rebekah Coates7Jessie Drinkwater8Rebecca Evans9Una Frederick10Michael Groszmann11Steve Jones12Katie McDonnell13Sarah Marley14Amanda Mobley15Abbie Murray16Helena O’Sullivan17Sarah Ormrod18Nyah Patel19Theo Prendegast20Usha Rajalingam21Venkat Reddy22Ameenat Lola Solebo23Isabella Stokes24Emily Webster25Rebecca Webster26Gareth Vinton27Roz Shafran28UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child HealthUCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child HealthUCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child HealthUCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child HealthCentre for Global Health Economics, UCL Institute for Global Health, Institute of Child HealthResearch Department of Primary Care and Population Health, University College LondonHinchingbrooke HospitalLeeds Teaching Hospital Trust, Paediatric PsychologyUniversity College HospitalsSheffield Children’s HospitalPeterborough City HospitalUniversity College HospitalsSheffield Children’s HospitalUniversity College HospitalsLeeds Teaching Hospital Trust, Paediatric PsychologyLeeds Teaching Hospital Trust, Paediatric PsychologyPeterborough City HospitalUniversity College HospitalsUniversity College HospitalsUCL Division of Psychology and Language SciencesUniversity College HospitalsHinchingbrooke HospitalChild Development Centre, City Care Centre, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation TrustUCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child HealthUCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child HealthSheffield Children’s HospitalChild Development Centre, City Care Centre, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation TrustUniversity College HospitalsUCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child HealthAbstract Background Despite the high prevalence of mental health disorders in children and young people with long-term health conditions, access to timely and effective treatment is often difficult. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of drop-in mental health services for young people with long-term health conditions and their families at six paediatric healthcare settings in England. Methods This was a prospective non-randomised single-arm multi-centre interventional study. Young people up to 25 years old with a long-term health condition, and their families were eligible. The primary outcome was the change in the total difficulties score on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire between baseline and 6 months. Interventions provided were standard evidence-based low intensity cognitive-behaviour therapy, onward referral or signposting. Secondary outcomes included quality of life, depression, anxiety, satisfaction with services and cost. Results Accessing the drop-in services led to significant reductions in emotional and behavioural symptoms (p < 0.01; Cohen’s d = 0.39) and improved quality of life (p < 0.01; Cohen’s d = 0.44). Parental depression and anxiety significantly improved (p < 0.01; Cohen’s d = 0.30 and d = 0.34). The average waiting time for an initial assessment was 13.42 days. High levels of satisfaction were reported. The cost per patient was approximately half the estimated cost of a typical course of psychological therapy. Conclusions Drop-in mental health services are effective and acceptable and can be delivered at low cost per patient for young people with long term conditions. This model of care is a feasible approach for increasing access to evidence-based mental health treatment in paediatric healthcare settings. Trial registration ISRCTN15063954, Registered on 9 December 2022.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-025-12681-1ChildrenYoung peopleMental healthLong term conditionsImplementation |
| spellingShingle | Anna Roach Sophie Bennett Isobel Heyman Anna Coughtrey Neha Batura Lina Gonzalez Nicki Astle Rebekah Coates Jessie Drinkwater Rebecca Evans Una Frederick Michael Groszmann Steve Jones Katie McDonnell Sarah Marley Amanda Mobley Abbie Murray Helena O’Sullivan Sarah Ormrod Nyah Patel Theo Prendegast Usha Rajalingam Venkat Reddy Ameenat Lola Solebo Isabella Stokes Emily Webster Rebecca Webster Gareth Vinton Roz Shafran Clinical effectiveness of drop-in mental health services in paediatric healthcare settings: a non-randomised multi-site study for children, young people and their families BMC Health Services Research Children Young people Mental health Long term conditions Implementation |
| title | Clinical effectiveness of drop-in mental health services in paediatric healthcare settings: a non-randomised multi-site study for children, young people and their families |
| title_full | Clinical effectiveness of drop-in mental health services in paediatric healthcare settings: a non-randomised multi-site study for children, young people and their families |
| title_fullStr | Clinical effectiveness of drop-in mental health services in paediatric healthcare settings: a non-randomised multi-site study for children, young people and their families |
| title_full_unstemmed | Clinical effectiveness of drop-in mental health services in paediatric healthcare settings: a non-randomised multi-site study for children, young people and their families |
| title_short | Clinical effectiveness of drop-in mental health services in paediatric healthcare settings: a non-randomised multi-site study for children, young people and their families |
| title_sort | clinical effectiveness of drop in mental health services in paediatric healthcare settings a non randomised multi site study for children young people and their families |
| topic | Children Young people Mental health Long term conditions Implementation |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-025-12681-1 |
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