The development and evaluation of a social prescribing model for child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS)

Data routinely collected by CAMHS will be taken from children and young people accessing Social Prescribing activities when they enter CAMHS (Time-0), at the start of the pathway (Time-1), midway through (Time-2), and again at the end of activities (Time-3). These measure outcomes on the social determinants of health, including health, wellbeing, social, emotional, and behavioural outcomes.

Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses will be performed to assess differences in mean scores across each time point, while controlling for potentially moderating factors such as age, gender, and ethnicity. The aim of this is to evaluate the short-term outcomes of the pathway.

The researcher will subsequently send out follow-up measures 3 months after activities have finished (Time-4) to those opting in to participate. These will be the same measures that had previously completed on the CAMHS pathway. The researcher will obtain the contact details of participants or their parents or caregivers to send these out by email or post.

Instructions on how to complete the measures will be provided, and a pre-paid returns label and confidential envelope will be provided for those returning these by post. Descriptive and inferential statistical models will again be used to assess differences across each time point. The aim of this is to evaluate the long-term outcomes and impacts of the pathway.

All data collected will be stored securely in line with the LJMU data storage policy, alongside NHS data handling and information governance policies.

Who can take part

Children and young people aged between six and 18 years old on the Social Prescribing pathway at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital Foundation Trust will be eligible for inclusion.

Key stakeholders including children, young people, their parents or caregivers, and CAMHS or community professionals responsible for delivering Social Prescribing activities will then be invited to attend one-to-one interviews with the researcher. These will be held where participants usually go for CAMHS (Liverpool or Sefton sites), by telephone, or Microsoft Teams video conference software.

A topic guide has been created, and questions have been informed by previous literature and will be phrased positively throughout. Questions will focus on participants’ perceptions of the pathway, including the perceived barriers and enablers, and how these are perceived to have influenced health and wellbeing outcomes. Interviews will last approximately 30 minutes to one hour and will be recorded for the purposes of data analysis only, which will be conducted using Thematic Framework Analysis.

Paper, pens, and stickers representing basic emotions (happy, neutral, and sad faces) will be provided by the researcher at the in-person interviews. These can be used by participants who prefer to draw or write about their responses to interview questions. Participants can also use their own if they join the interview remotely.  This was considered acceptable to overcome potential communication and engagement barriers.

It will be stated in the participant information sheets and communicated verbally that the researcher will ask participants if they can photograph their drawings. These may be used to inform the evaluation. However, this is not compulsory, and participants can say no if they do not want their drawing photographed. All data collected (audio recordings, drawing photographs) will be pseudonymised by the researcher and stored securely in line with the LJMU data storage policy.

Who can take part

Children and young people aged between six and 18 years old, their parents or caregivers, and CAMHS or community professionals responsible for delivering Social Prescribing activities will be eligible for inclusion.