Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42216092›Full record

ArticlePilot and feasibility studies2026

A pragmatic adaptive trial of hope-focused mentoring to improve mental health and social outcomes for young women who are not in education, employment or training in deprived coastal areas (The Looking Forward Project): feasibility trial stage protocol.

Clio Berry, Jessica C Bird, Stephen Bremner, Saskia Eddy, Lindsay Forbes, Julia Fountain, Paul McCrone, Charlotte Rawlinson, Jon Wilson, Daniel Michelson

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Pilot and feasibility studies, 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

10 authors.

Clio BerryDepartment of Primary Care and Public Health, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Brighton and University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9PX, UK. c.berry@bsms.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1164-9836
Jessica C BirdDepartment of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, Psychology & Neuroscience, Strand, London, UK.
Stephen BremnerDepartment of Primary Care and Public Health, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Brighton and University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9PX, UK.
Saskia EddyDepartment of Primary Care and Public Health, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Brighton and University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9PX, UK.
Lindsay ForbesCentre for Health Services Studies, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, UK.
Julia FountainResearch and Development, Sussex Education Centre, Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Nevill Avenue, Hove, UK.
Paul McCroneSchool of Health Sciences, University of Greenwich, London, UK.
Charlotte RawlinsonDepartment of Primary Care and Public Health, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Brighton and University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9PX, UK.
Jon WilsonNorfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, Norwich, UK.
Daniel MichelsonDepartment of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, Psychology & Neuroscience, Strand, London, UK.

Funding

Public Health Research Programme NIHR158476
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundA large number of young women are not in education, employment, or training (NEET) in England. This group experiences poorer mental health and social outcomes than young women who work and study, and NEET young men. Gender disparities are compounded in deprived and coastal areas, where young women especially lack self-agency and aspirations. Research suggests that greater hope lowers risks of staying NEET and developing mental health problems. We co-developed a hope-focused intervention (HOPEFUL) for this group. HOPEFUL is a flexible modular programme, designed to help develop a more hopeful mindset that facilitates setting and pursuing personally meaningful goals. It is designed to be supported by a mentor, if possible selected by the participant from their existing social network. We aim to understand the feasibility of involving NEET young women and mentors in a trial of HOPEFUL conducted in coastal and adjacent local authority areas in Sussex, Kent and Medway, and East Anglia.

methodsThis protocol describes the feasibility stage of an adaptive assessor-blind pragmatic randomised controlled trial (RCT) with 1:1 allocation (stratified by age group and local authority area) to (1) mentor-supported HOPEFUL plus usual support versus (2) usual support with waitlist access to HOPEFUL materials. NEET young women (aged 16-25 years) are recruited from local authority, charity and voluntary, and primary care services, as well as directly from the community using outreach, local advertising, social media, and peer networks. Our adaptive trial design incorporates a preliminary feasibility trial (N = 70) with progression to a definitive RCT (N = 248), as warranted. Feasibility outcomes (corresponding to the recruitment and retention of young women and mentors) will be assessed post-intervention (16 weeks) against pre-specified progression criteria. DISCUSSION: Feasibility trial results will inform decisions about progression to a definitive RCT of the HOPEFUL intervention. If warranted, the latter will test whether HOPEFUL improves hope (primary outcome) and secondary outcomes (including mental health symptoms and social outcomes) compared to usual support services at 16 weeks (primary endpoint) and 12-month follow-up. We will disseminate feasibility results using tailored outputs. In the longer term, we anticipate practice impacts through scaled-up access to HOPEFUL.

Indexed as

Mental healthPilotPositive youth developmentWomen’s healthYoung people

Identifiers

PMID42216092
PMCPMC13425958

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.