Narrative-Mantra Multifamily Group for Adolescent Mental Health

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Narrative-Mantra Multi-family Group for Families Awaiting Treatment at the Bromley Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) in London UK

  • IRAS ID

    325549

  • Contact name

    Yang Yang Teh

  • Contact email

    yangyang.teh@nhs.net

  • Sponsor organisation

    Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

  • Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier

    N/A, N/A

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    1 years, 6 months, 1 days

  • Research summary

    This is a mixed methods research to implement and evaluate the improvement of mental health and reduction of distress of families by integrating mantra-recitation with narrative-multi-family group. The trial hopes to reach out to over 300 families with adolescents age 14-17 awaiting treatment at the Bromley CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service), Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK. This is one of the service initiatives to address the long waiting time for treatment. The target number of participants is 60 families, who will be randomly allocated to either the treatment group (N=30) or control group (N=30). The control group will receive the narrative group intervention but without the mantra-recitation. All participants will be asked to answer self-report outcome measures thrice, and attend an ending booster-focus group discussions. An additional 30 families already receiving treatment as usual will also be invited to contribute as a separate control group by answering the same self-report outcome measures only. The scope of time for this research is from Apr 2023 to Oct 2024.

    Narrative-mantra multi-family group is a specific family therapy approach for multiple families to come together over an eight-week period. In each 1.5-hour session, up to two families will share their life stories of strengths and resilience, whilst other families will share how listening to the stories help them as well. During the session, about 5-10minutes will be dedicated to a collective practice of mantra-based meditation, a form of mindfulness practice that focus on repeating aloud a particular word, phrase or sound to help improve their well-being and concentration.

  • REC name

    South West - Cornwall & Plymouth Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    23/SW/0031

  • Date of REC Opinion

    2 May 2023

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion