FOR
Parents / Carers
This page provides information for parents/carers about Work Package 5 of the Exploring Mental Health Support Teams in Schools project, which will explore the experiences and outcomes of receiving support from a Mental Health Support Team (MHST) in selected areas across England
What does the study involve?
Surveys
What will my child and I be asked to do?
We will ask children and young people referred for support from the school’s Mental Health Support Team (MHST) to complete surveys about their mental health and wellbeing.
These surveys will include questions about their strengths and difficulties, quality of life, symptoms of anxiety and depression, and socio-demographic information.
Parents/carers will also fill out some of these surveys on their behalf (for younger children) or as secondary informants.
When will the surveys be completed?
If you and your child agree to take part, you will be asked to complete the surveys at three different time points:
1. Before your child begins receiving support from the school’s Mental Health Support Team (MHST)
2. After your child finishes receiving support
3. Nine months after the first surveys.
Interviews/ focus groups
About the Interviews/Focus Groups
We will invite children, young people and parents/carers who have received mental health support from the Mental Health Support Team (MHST) to take part in an interview/focus group to share their experiences of receiving support.
Participants can choose to take part either in a group discussion with others (focus group) or individually (interview), depending on what they feel most comfortable with.
Although conversations with parents/carers and children will usually be held separately, we will offer the option to speak with you and your child together, if that would help them feel more comfortable.
Why have I or my child been invited to take part?
You or your child have been invited to take part because they/you have received support from one of our selected Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs).
The purpose of this project is to explore the experiences of receiving direct support from an MHST.
By taking part, you’ll be helping us understand what works well and what could be improved, so we can contribute to improving mental health support in schools across the UK.
Questions & Answers
Do I or my child need to take part in this study?
No, neither you nor your child have to take part in this study if they don’t want to. Participation is completely voluntary. If your child is under the age of 16, they will also need your permission to take part.
What are the benefits and drawbacks of taking part in this study?
The benefits of taking part include:
- You and your child can contribute to important research aimed at improving mental health support for children and young people across the country.
- You may find the surveys and interviews/groups interesting and engaging.
- You and your child may gain insight into their wellbeing and learn more about what types of support work best to improve their mental health.
The drawbacks of taking part include:
- The surveys and interviews/focus groups may touch on sensitive or distressing topics, such as anxiety or depression.
- We have tried to reduce the likelihood of distress, including using creative activities during the interviews/focus groups to help them feel more comfortable when talking about these topics. However, it is important to remember that participating in this research may still carry some risk of distress.
What happens if my child or I change our minds about participating? Can we stop taking part in the study?
Yes, you or your child can change your mind at any time. Taking part in the study is completely voluntary, and you are free to stop participating at any point without giving a reason. This will not affect any support you or your child currently receive or may receive in the future.
What topics will be covered in the surveys and interviews/focus groups?
- The surveys will include questions on topics such as anxiety, depression, emotions, peer relationships, quality of life, use of mental health services, and demographic information like age and gender.
- One of the surveys completed by children and young people will include five to eight questions about your child’s current mental health and wellbeing, using an online platform called Artemis-A. These questions ask how they have been feeling recently, whether they are finding anything difficult, or if there is anything that makes them unhappy or anxious.
- In the interviews/focus groups, we will ask you and your child about your views and experiences of receiving support from the school’s Mental Health Support Team (MHST). We will also explore any benefits or challenges you or your child experienced while receiving support, and ask for any suggestions you may have for improving the mental health support offered at the school.
- It is okay to skip any question in the surveys or the interview/focus group at any time. There will be no pressure to answer anything you don’t feel comfortable with.
Will my or my child's answers be tracked or identifiable?
No, the survey and interview/focus group responses will be anonymised. This means that your and your child’s answers will be assigned a code to replace any identifying information. Only the study researchers and the Mental Health Support Team (MHST) staff at your child’s school will have access to details such as your child’s name, age, and school name. These details will be stored securely in a password-protected file.
What will happen to the results of the study?
We will use the findings to write reports, academic articles (which may be published in journals), and presentations for conferences. All data will be fully anonymised, so participants, schools, and Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) will not be identifiable.
Who is conducting the research?
The Exploring Mental Health Support Teams in Schools project is a collaboration between the University of Birmingham, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), and the University of Cambridge. The principal investigators are Dr Jo Ellins (University of Birmingham) and Professor Nicholas Mays (LSHTM).
This section of the Exploring Mental Health Support Teams in Schools project corresponds to Work Package 5 and is being conducted by researchers in the Child and Adolescent Resilience and Mental Health (ChARM) team, based in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge. You can find out more about the team working on this study here.
Who should I contact if I have a query or concern?
If you have any questions or concerns, you can use our submission box or find the contact details for the research team here.