A controlled trial of implementing a complex mental health intervention for carers of vulnerable young people living in out-of-home care: the ripple project

BMC Psychiatry

Research Article

Anne Magnus¹  Cathrine Mihalopoulos¹  Patrick McGorry²  Helen Herrman²  Susan Cotton²  Kristen Moeller-Saxone²  Simon Rice²  Sophie Havighurst³  Cathy Humphreys⁴  Ida Kaplan⁵  Josef Szwarc⁵  Tony Glynn⁶  Lenice Murray⁷  Stephen Halperin⁷  Katherine Monson⁷  Carol Harvey⁸  Sam Tyano⁹  Elise Davis^1,10  Penelope Mitchell^1,11 

[1] Centre for Population Health Research, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Hwy, 3125, Burwood, VIC, Australia;Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, 35 Poplar Road, 3052, Parkville, VIC, Australia;Orygen The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, 35 Poplar Road, 3052, Parkville, VIC, Australia;Department of Psychiatry, Mindful, Centre for Training and Research in Developmental Health, University of Melbourne, Building C, 50 Flemington Street, 3031, Flemington, Australia;Department of Social Work, University of Melbourne, 3010, Parkville, VIC, Australia;Foundation House - Victorian Foundation for the Survivors of Torture Inc, 4 Gardiner Street, 3056, Brunswick, VIC, Australia;Integrated Mental Health Program, Royal Children’s Hospital, 117-129 Warringa Cres, 3029, Hoppers Crossing, VIC, Australia;Orygen Youth Health, 35 Poplar Road, 3052, Parkville, VIC, Australia;Psychosocial Research Centre Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, 130 Bell Street, 3058, Coburg, VIC, Australia;North Western Mental Health, Melbourne, Australia;Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel;The Jack Brockhoff Child Health and Wellbeing Program, Centre for Health Equity, The Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Level 5, 207 Bouverie St, 3010, Melbourne, VIC, Australia;Youth Support and Advocacy Service (YSAS), 131 Johnston Street, 3065, Abbotsford, VIC, Australia;

关键词: Out-of-home care;    Youth mental health;    Prevention;    Implementation;    Complex intervention;    Looked after children;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12888-016-1145-6

 received in 2016-07-21, accepted in 2016-11-29,  发布年份 2016

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundOut-of-home care (OoHC) refers to young people removed from their families by the state because of abuse, neglect or other adversities. Many of the young people experience poor mental health and social function before, during and after leaving care. Rigorously evaluated interventions are urgently required.This publication describes the protocol for the Ripple project and notes early findings from a controlled trial demonstrating the feasibility of the work. The Ripple project is implementing and evaluating a complex mental health intervention that aims to strengthen the therapeutic capacities of carers and case managers of young people (12-17 years) in OoHC.MethodsThe study is conducted in partnership with mental health, substance abuse and social services in Melbourne, with young people as participants. It has three parts:1. Needs assessment and implementation of a complex mental health intervention; 2. A 3-year controlled trial of the mental health, social and economic outcomes; and 3. Nested process evaluation of the intervention.ResultsEarly findings characterising the young people, their carers and case managers and implementing the intervention are available. The trial Wave 1 includes interviews with 176 young people, 52% of those eligible in the study population, 104 carers and 79 case managers.ConclusionsImplementing and researching an affordable service system intervention appears feasible and likely to be applicable in other places and countries. Success of the intervention will potentially contribute to reducing mental ill-health among these young people, including suicide attempts, self-harm and substance abuse, as well as reducing homelessness, social isolation and contact with the criminal justice system.Trial registrationAustralian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12615000501549. Retrospectively registered 19 May 2015.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s). 2016