my-serve.github.io

MY-SERVE Study Information

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What is MY-SERVE?

MY-SERVE stands for Mental health in Youth: SERVice Effectiveness.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, research has shown that children and young people’s mental health has got worse and there has been a large increase in the number of children and young people being referred to mental health services (eg. GP counsellor, school counsellor, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, or CAMHS).

MY-SERVE aims to understand young people’s experiences of mental health services through in-depth interviews. In particular, we’d like to know why some groups of young people may not improve as much as others after accessing services. We’d like to speak to young people to find out what worked or didn’t work for them, so we can suggest ways to improve services.

We would like to invite you to take part if you:

What will happen to me if I take part?

We will arrange a day and time that’s suitable for you, and the interview can be either online or face-to-face at the university. If you are happy to go ahead with the interview, you will need to sign a consent form.

We will record our conversation so that we can remember everything we talked about. The recording will only be accessible by the research team. The interview will take up to an hour. We will listen to everything you have to say, and be sensitive to how you are feeling.

What do I have to do?

The interview will be conducted by a member of the research team. We will let you know the type of things we will ask you beforehand so you know what to expect. We are interested in your personal experiences related to the mental health services you’ve used.

Will my taking part in this project be kept confidential?

All information we collect about you will be kept confidential. We will not share the names of anyone who is taking part in this study with anyone outside of the research group, and we will not link your name to any information you provide. The findings may be used in presentations, academic articles and reports, but you or those you mention will not be identified in any way.

The only exception to this will be if you tell us something that suggests a serious risk to any person (including yourself). At that point, for safety reasons, we will share this information with appropriate services, but if possible, we will try to let you know first. For example, if you tell us something that makes us worried about your wellbeing, we will contact your school to offer further support and where appropriate share this information with safeguarding services.

Are there any advantages or disadvantages of taking part?

While some people do find it helpful to talk about their experiences, you may find it distressing. It is important to remember you do not have to continue with the interview if you do not want to and you do not have to talk about anything that you find uncomfortable or upsetting. The researchers will provide you with details of relevant services and organisations that can offer support or help should you feel you need to talk to someone after taking part in an interview.

We can give you a £20 in Amazon voucher as a thank you for taking part in an interview.

Who is organising and funding the research?

The research is funded by Wellcome (226392/Z/22/Z).

Ethical review of the study

The project has been approved by the Cambridge Psychology Research Ethics Committee (PRE.2024.035).

How will my data be lawfully processed?

The University of Cambridge is the sponsor for this study and will be the data controller. The lawful basis for carrying out this study under GDPR is Task in the Public Interest, (Article 6,1e) as research is cited as part of the University’s duties. This relates to how the information that you share with us is protected. More information about how the University of Cambridge will use your information can be found at: https://www.information-compliance.admin.cam.ac.uk/data-protection/research-participant-data.

How can I participate in the study?

We would like to ask you to complete an expression of interest form. Please use this link if you are under 24; or use this link if you are a caregiver. We will contact you shortly.

Contact for further information.

You can reach our research team member below if you have any concerns or queries regarding this study:

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