Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33243761›Full record

Trial reportEvidence-based mental health2021

Evaluation of a mental health drop-in centre offering brief transdiagnostic psychological assessment and treatment for children and adolescents with long-term physical conditions and their families: a single-arm, open, non-randomised trial.

Matteo Catanzano, Sophie D Bennett, Ellie Kerry, Holan Liang, Isobel Heyman, Anna E Coughtrey, Kate Fifield, Chloe Taylor, Tim Dalgleish, Laila Xu and 1 more

Open access · hybridAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Evidence-based mental health, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
15citing papers in PubMed
6.5field-weighted citation impact, top 3% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

15 citing papers in PubMed, 29 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
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  3. Feasibility, acceptability and preliminary effectiveness of a mental health drop-in centre for the siblings of young people attending a paediatric hospital.Journal of child health care : for professionals working with children in the hospital and community · 2025
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  15. Time for a paradigm shift for psychotherapies?Evidence-based mental health · 2021
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Matteo CatanzanoUCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-7876-4348
Sophie D BennettUCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK.
Ellie KerryUCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK.
Holan LiangUCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK.
Isobel HeymanUCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK.
Anna E CoughtreyUCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK.
Kate FifieldUCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK.
Chloe TaylorUCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK.
Tim DalgleishMRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, UK.
Laila XuUCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK.
Roz ShafranUCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK r.shafran@ucl.ac.uk.
Great Ormond Street Hospital · GBMRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit · GB

Funding

Medical Research Council MC_UU_00005/4
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundChildren and young people with long-term physical conditions have significantly elevated mental health needs. Transdiagnostic, brief psychological interventions have the potential to increase access to evidence-based psychological treatments for patients who attend health services primarily for physical health needs.

objectiveA non-randomised study was conducted to assess the impact of brief, transdiagnostic psychological interventions in children and young people presenting at a drop-in mental health centre in the reception area of a paediatric hospital.

methods186 participants attending a transdiagnostic mental health drop-in centre were allocated to assessment and psychological intervention based on a clinical decision-making algorithm. Interventions included signposting, guided self-help based on a modular psychological treatment and referral to the hospital's paediatric psychology service. The primary transdiagnostic mental health outcome measure was the parent-reported Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), which was given at baseline and 6 months post-baseline.

findingsThere was a significant positive impact of attending the drop-in mental health centre on the SDQ (Cohen's d=0.22) and on the secondary outcome measure of Paediatric Quality of life (Cohen's d=0.55).

conclusionsA mental health drop-in centre offering brief, transdiagnostic assessment and treatment may reduce emotional and behavioural symptoms and improve quality of life in children and young people with mental health needs in the context of long-term physical conditions. A randomised controlled trial to investigate the specificity of any effects is warranted. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Drop-in centres for mental health needs may increase access and have beneficial effects for children and young people with physical conditions.

Indexed as

Cognitive Behavioral TherapyMental HealthAdolescentChildHumansQuality of Lifeanxiety disorderschild & adolescent psychiatrydepression & mood disorders

Identifiers

PMID33243761
PMCPMC7958088
OpenAlexW3109412032

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.