Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40188478›Full record

Trial reportJournal of public health (Oxford, England)2025

Economic evaluation of a complex intervention to improve the mental health of maltreated children in foster care (BeST? Services trial).

Manuela Deidda, Helen Minnis, Karen Crawford, Robin Young, Gary Kainth, Julia Donaldson, Matt Forde, Alex McConnachie, Christopher Gillberg, Marion Henderson and 3 more

Abstract readComparative StudyRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Journal of public health (Oxford, England), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

13 authors.

Manuela DeiddaHealth Economics and Health Technology assessment, School of Health and Wellbeing, Clarice Pears Building, 90 Byres road G12 8TB, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-0921-6970
Helen MinnisCentre for Developmental Adversity and Resilience (CeDAR), Mental Health and Wellbeing, School of Health and Wellbeing, Clarice Pears Building, 90 Byres road, G12 8TB University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
Karen CrawfordCentre for Developmental Adversity and Resilience (CeDAR), Mental Health and Wellbeing, School of Health and Wellbeing, Clarice Pears Building, 90 Byres road, G12 8TB University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
Robin YoungRobertson Centre for Biostatistics, School of Health and Wellbeing Clarice Pears Building, 90 Byres Road, Glasgow, G12 8TB University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
Gary KainthCentre for Developmental Adversity and Resilience (CeDAR), Mental Health and Wellbeing, School of Health and Wellbeing, Clarice Pears Building, 90 Byres road, G12 8TB University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
Julia DonaldsonGlasgow Infant and Family Team, NSPCC, Pavillion 2 Rowan Business Park Ardlaw Street Glasgow G51 3RR Glasgow, UK.
Matt FordeGlasgow Infant and Family Team, NSPCC, Pavillion 2 Rowan Business Park Ardlaw Street Glasgow G51 3RR Glasgow, UK.
Alex McConnachieRobertson Centre for Biostatistics, School of Health and Wellbeing Clarice Pears Building, 90 Byres Road, Glasgow, G12 8TB University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
Christopher GillbergCentre for Developmental Adversity and Resilience (CeDAR), Mental Health and Wellbeing, School of Health and Wellbeing, Clarice Pears Building, 90 Byres road, G12 8TB University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
Marion HendersonMRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, School of Health and Wellbeing, Clarice Pears Building, 90 Byres Road, Glasgow, G12 8TB University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
Philip WilsonInstitute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen Aberdeen, AB24 3FX.
Kathleen A BoydHealth Economics and Health Technology assessment, School of Health and Wellbeing, Clarice Pears Building, 90 Byres road G12 8TB, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
Emma McIntoshHealth Economics and Health Technology assessment, School of Health and Wellbeing, Clarice Pears Building, 90 Byres road G12 8TB, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.

Funding

NIHR Public Health Research Programme
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundChildren in foster care who have experienced abuse and neglect are at risk of poor long-term health and societal outcomes. Evidence on the costs, benefits and cost-effectiveness of early interventions aimed at improving the mental health of abused and neglected children is limited.

methodsThis study reports the within-trial economic evaluation alongside BEST?, a randomized controlled trial comparing the New Orleans Intervention Model (NIM) with services as usual (SAU), targeting children aged 0-60 months entering UK foster care.In line with guidance for conducting economic evaluations of complex and social care interventions, a cost-utility analysis (CUA) estimated incremental cost of NIM per quality-adjusted life year (QALY); a cost-effectiveness analysis estimated incremental cost per unit improvement in child mental health; and a cost-consequence analysis combined costs with broad-ranging outcomes.

resultsNIM is significantly more costly than SAU (NIM: £10 002; SAU: £4336), with wide cost variations according to context. There are no significant differences between NIM and SAU in QALYs or child mental health.

conclusionsWithin the current UK care systems, NIM is not a cost-effective alternative to SAU. However, these results need to be interpreted with caution and within the prevailing service provision context.

Indexed as

Child AbuseFoster Home CareMental HealthChild, PreschoolCost-Benefit AnalysisCost-Effectiveness AnalysisFemaleHumansInfantInfant, NewbornMaleQuality-Adjusted Life YearsUnited Kingdomchildrencost effectivenessmental health

Identifiers

PMID40188478
PMCPMC12395952

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.