Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41493931›Full record

Trial reportChild and adolescent mental health2026

A digital intervention to improve mental health and interpersonal resilience in young people who have experienced technology-assisted sexual abuse: a feasibility clinical trial.

Sandra Bucci, Filippo Varese, Ethel Quayle, Kim Cartwright, Amanda Larkin, Cindy Chan, Prathiba Chitsabesan, Victoria Green, William Hewins, Matthew Machin and 11 more

Abstract readMulticenter StudyClinical Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Child and adolescent mental health, 2026. 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

21 authors.

Sandra BucciDivision of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biological, Medical and Health Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Science, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Filippo VareseDivision of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biological, Medical and Health Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Science, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Ethel QuayleSchool of Health in Social Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
Kim CartwrightGreater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK.
Amanda LarkinGreater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK.
Cindy ChanGreater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK.
Prathiba ChitsabesanPennine Care NHS Foundation Trust, Ashton-under-Lyne, UK.
Victoria GreenMarie Collins Foundation, Manchester, UK.
William HewinsNHS Lothian, Edinburgh, UK.
Matthew MachinDivision of Informatics, Imaging and Data Science, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Alice NewtonGreater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK.
Erica NiebauerNHS Lothian, Edinburgh, UK.
John NorrieEdinburgh Clinical Trials Unit, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
Gillian RadfordNHS Lothian, Edinburgh, UK.
Cathy RichardsNHS Lothian, Edinburgh, UK.
Marina SandysGreater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK.
Victoria SelbyMersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, Prescot, UK.
Sara ShafiNHS Lothian, Edinburgh, UK.
Jennifer WardNHS Lothian, Edinburgh, UK.
Pauline WhelanGreater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK.
Matthias SchwannauerSchool of Health in Social Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.

Funding

Health Services and Delivery Research Programme NIHR131848Manchester Biomedical Research Centre NIHR 203308NIHR Research Professorship NIHR300794
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe purpose of the present study was to conduct a feasibility trial of i-Minds, a digital mental health intervention (DMHI) designed to improve mentalisation in young people (YP) who have experienced technology-assisted sexual abuse (TASA). Enhancing mentalisation may reduce the risk of re-victimisation, strengthen resilience, and support management of TASA-related distress. However, evidence-based interventions for TASA are nascent.

methodsWe determined the feasibility, acceptability, and safety of a 6-week mentalisation-based DMHI for YP with TASA in a pre-registered multicentre non-randomised clinical trial (ISRCTN43130832). YP aged 12-18 years recruited across child and adolescent mental health services in two sites completed baseline and post-treatment assessments.

resultsForty-six people were recruited; 43 were allocated to the i-Minds app; 86% completed follow-up assessments. The average participant age was 15.42 years. Most participants identified as female (69.8%), White British (95.3%); a notable percentage identified as non-binary/third gender or preferred not to disclose their gender identity (16.3%), and 20.9% reported their gender did not match their sex assigned at birth. We found signals of post-treatment improvement in TASA-related post-traumatic symptoms, resilience, internalising symptoms, and reflective functioning. User feedback indicated that participants generally had a positive experience of using the app, positively impacting their knowledge/understanding of their own mental health and their motivation to address their mental health difficulties. There were no related adverse events.

conclusionIt is possible to recruit and retain participants for a DMHI trial of TASA. The i-Minds app was safe, acceptable and showed promising signals of efficacy on valuable outcomes. Following further refinements, a powered efficacy trial is warranted to confirm and extend findings.

Indexed as

Child Abuse, SexualMental HealthMobile ApplicationsResilience, PsychologicalSex OffensesAdolescentChildFeasibility StudiesFemaleHumansMalechild abuseRisk factorssexual abuse

Identifiers

PMID41493931
PMCPMC12832212

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.