Improving Access to Psychological Therapies for Children with Distressing Sensory Experiences (CHuSE)
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Participant type
Rewards
Key Documents
- CHuSE leaflet 1.pdf
- CHuSE leaflet 2.pdf
- CHuSE participant information sheet (8-11 years old).pdf
- CHuSE participant information sheet (12-15 years old).pdf
- CHuSE participant information sheet (companion to 8-11 year old).pdf
- CHuSE participant information sheet (companion to 12-15 year old).pdf
- CHuSE participant information sheet (parent/caregiver intervention).pdf
- CHuSE participant information sheet (professionals).pdf
Overview
In the ChUSE Interventions, we are offering a brief psychological therapy to help young people (8-15-years-old) with distressing sensory experiences, with accompanying parent-workshops. You could be assigned either to our trial group or our treatment as usual group.
Summary
What is the study about?
Unusual sensory experiences, such as hearing voices, seeing visions, feeling the
presence of people or things others don’t see, are very common for young people.
Lots of people will experience some form of unusual sensory experience during childhood and adolescence. For some people these are not upsetting, however for others these experiences can be distressing and cause difficult feelings. We call these distressing sensory experiences.
What are you trying to find out?
In healthcare, we undertake research to find out what works and how to do things better.
In the ChUSE study (Children with Unusual Sensory Experiences), we want to find out if a new type of talking therapy is a helpful choice of therapy for children and young people who have had distressing sensory experiences.
What does taking part involve?
The study will involve completing some questionnaires about your thoughts, feelings and mental health. It is also an opportunity to receive support through your CAMHS service.
- First phone call: if you are interested and eligible to take part, you will be invited to participate in an assessment at either your home or a public site.
- Giving consent: The researcher will meet you either at the arranged location or contact you via phone or video call. You will have another chance to ask questions you might have. You will then be asked to provide informed consent for the study.
- Completing the assessment: You will be asked to complete some questionnaires to get an idea of how things are in your day-to-day life.
- Randomisation: You will assigned into one of two groups: either one that receives the extra CHuSE therapy, or the group that continues treatment as usual. The assignment into groups is random.
- Starting therapy: If you are assigned to the extra therapy, you will meet with the therapist for up to 4 sessions over 3 months. If you are not allocated to a therapy group someone will let you know and you will continue with the support you are receiving from your CAMHS team.
- Completing an assessment to tell us how things might have changed: After three months, you will be asked to repeat the questionnaires you did before starting therapy. This is for both people who have received extra therapy and those who haven't. Another three months after that, you will be asked to do the questionnaires again.
- Talking with us about how you found being in the study: The last part of the trial is optional, and it is up to you whether or not you would like to take part. If you would like to take part, you will meet with a researcher to tell them a bit about how you have found being in the trial.
Participants will receive £15 every time they meet with the Research Assistant for an assessment as a thank you for taking part in our study.
Who is it for?
You can take part if you are:
- aged 8-15 years old
- hear voices, see visions, or have other sensory experiences other people don't
- currently receiving care from CAMHS
- able to talk with our therapist in English
Your parent or caregiver can give their permission for you to take part.
As part of the trial, all parents and caregivers whose child is allocated to the treatment group and receiving therapy are offered an information intervention for themselves. We are aiming to recruit 60 parents/caregivers to this study.
Unfortunately, if you are involved in another clinical trial that involves talking therapy,
you will not be able to take part in the ChUSE trial at the same time.
Why is it important?
The information you give us will help us to develop new ways of helping children and young people. We hope the meetings with our research team will provide an open and comfortable space in which you can feel free to share your thoughts, feelings, and opinions.
How can I find out more?
You can find out more information about taking part in this study by downloading the key documents at the top of this page.
If you are interested in taking part in this study, or have questions for the research team, click the button below to email us:
Meet the researcher
Filippo VareseAssociate Director of Research & Innovation
My name is Filippo. I am Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Manchester. In GMMH, I am also an Associate Director for Research & Innovation and the Director of the Complex Trauma & Resilience Research Unit. Most of my work focusses on developing new therapies that could help people who struggle with a range of unusual experiences and distressing beliefs that have been brought about by difficult or traumatic life experiences.
Collaborators
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