Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37232106›Full record

ArticleBJPsych open2023

The psychological and social impact of the digital self-support system 'Brain in Hand' on autistic people: prospective cohort study in England and Wales.

Samuel Tromans, William Henley, Ian Summers, Danielle Bilkey, Jenna Datson, Nicola Doherty, Louise Morpeth, Sarah Benbow, Rebecca Jelbert, Ashok Roy and 7 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BJPsych open, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
1.2field-weighted citation impact, top 22% 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

2 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Feasibility Study of a Novel App-Based Anxiety Intervention for Autistic People.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research · 2026
    Trial
  2. Review
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

17 authors at 9 institutions in 1 country.

Samuel TromansDepartment of Population Health Sciences, University of Leicester, UK; and Adult Learning Disability Service, Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0783-285X
William HenleyHealth Statistics Group, University of Exeter Medical School, UK.
Ian SummersCornwall Intellectual Disability Equitable Research (CIDER), Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, UK and University of Plymouth Peninsula School of Medicine, UK.
Danielle BilkeyCornwall Intellectual Disability Equitable Research (CIDER), Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, UK and University of Plymouth Peninsula School of Medicine, UK.
Jenna DatsonCornwall Intellectual Disability Equitable Research (CIDER), Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, UK and University of Plymouth Peninsula School of Medicine, UK.
Nicola DohertyBrain in Hand Ltd, Exeter, UK.
Louise MorpethBrain in Hand Ltd, Exeter, UK.
Sarah BenbowBrain in Hand Ltd, Exeter, UK.
Rebecca JelbertAdult Autism Assessment Team, Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, UK.
Ashok RoyLearning Disability Services, Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership Trust, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8432-981X
Lance WatkinsUnit for Development in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, University of South Wales, UK; and Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Service, Swansea Bay University Health Board, UK.
Bhathika PereraLearning Disability Services, Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9316-9312
Saman ShazadLearning Disability Services, Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, UK.
Richard PenderAutism Services, Devon Partnership NHS Trust, UK.
Regi AlexanderLearning Disability Services, Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, UK; and School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, UK.
Richard LaugharneCornwall Intellectual Disability Equitable Research (CIDER), Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, UK and University of Plymouth Peninsula School of Medicine, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9916-343X
Rohit ShankarCornwall Intellectual Disability Equitable Research (CIDER), Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, UK and University of Plymouth Peninsula School of Medicine, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1183-6933
Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust · GBBarnet Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust · GBCheshire West and Chester · GBCoventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust · GBDevon Partnership NHS Trust · GBUniversity of Exeter · GBUniversity of Hertfordshire · GBUniversity of Leicester · GBUniversity of South Wales · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundBrain in Hand (BIH) is a UK-based digital self-support system for managing anxiety and social functioning.

aimsTo identify the impact of BIH on the psychological and social functioning of adults with autism.

methodAdults with diagnosed or suspected DSM-5 (level 1) autism, identified by seven NHS autism services in England and Wales, were recruited for a 12-week prospective mixed-methods cohort study. The primary quantitative outcome measures were the Health of the Nation Outcome Scales for People with Learning Disabilities (HONOS-LD) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Fisher's exact test explored sociodemographic associations. Paired

resultsSixty-six of 99 participants completed the study. There was significant reduction in mean HONOS-LD scores, with 0.65 s.d. decrease in those who used BIH for 12 weeks. Significant positive changes were identified in HONOS-LD subdomains of 'self-injurious behaviours', 'memory and orientation', 'communication problems in understanding', 'occupation and activities' and 'problems with relationship'. A significant reduction in the anxiety, but not depression, component of the HADS scores was identified. Thematic analysis showed high confidence in BIH.

conclusionsBIH improved anxiety and other clinical, social and functioning outcomes of adults with autism.

Indexed as

anxiety disordersautism spectrum disordersDevelopmental disorderseducation and trainingself-harm

Identifiers

PMID37232106
PMCPMC10228225
OpenAlexW4378348728

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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.