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Abstract
Mental disorders are prevalent during adolescence. Self-harm and suicide are more common in adolescents with a probable mental disorder, with one in four reporting to have attempted self-harm. Research involving adolescents is, therefore, likely to include participants experiencing mental ill health, even if mental health is not the primary focus. Researchers should adopt procedures and principles that safeguard adolescent mental health in their research practice. Yet there are gaps between theory and practice of research with adolescents in relation to their mental health, and limited guidance is available. We discuss emerging safeguarding dilemmas and procedures in adolescent mental health research. Our experiences of safeguarding adolescent mental health are grounded in the UK National Institute for Health and Care Research-funded SMART Schools Study. Drawing from this secondary school-based study, we focus on how our research team encountered and addressed a high prevalence of participants (aged 12–13 and 14–15 years) reporting thoughts and behaviours related to self-harm or suicide (24% of participants). This included reviewing our existing risk mitigation processes and consulting with several committees including young people with lived experiences of mental health. We present the SMART Schools study safeguarding approach for adolescent mental health. This encompasses key safeguarding principles, study procedures and relevant justifications. We address school and university roles and responsibilities, pupil understanding, and efficient, effective and secure communication pathways. We embed guidance throughout this article for researchers working with adolescents in the context of mental health. Lastly, we present five key recommendations to safeguard the mental health of adolescents participating in research, including (1) appointing a safeguarding lead within the research team; (2) codesigning a bespoke study safeguarding approach; (3) adopting a responsive approach to mental health safeguarding; (4) being transparent about the study mental health safeguarding approach and (5) report the implementation and outcomes of safeguarding approaches. Trial registration number ISRCTN77948572.
Original language | English |
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Article number | e076700 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | BMJ open |
Volume | 14 |
Issue number | 2 |
Early online date | 29 Feb 2024 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 29 Feb 2024 |
Bibliographical note
AcknowledgmentsWe would like to thank the following for their involvement and input in the development of the safeguarding procedures: SMART Schools Study team; Study Management Group members Professor Peymane Adab, Professor Hareth Al-Janabi, Dr Alice Sitch, Dr Sally Fenton, Dr Paul Patterson, Dr Matthew Wade, Dr Breanna Morrison, Ms Kirsty Jones (Study Management Group); Study Steering Committee members Professor Lorraine Cale, Professor Scott Leatherdale, Dr Barbara Barrett, Dr Samuel Relton, Mr Steve Cotton; and Data Monitoring and Ethics Committee members Dr Thomas Quarmby, Professor Chris Owen and Dr Tessa Reardon. We would also like to thank the Institute for Mental Health Youth Advisory Group and Designated Safeguarding Leads who engaged with reviewing and providing feedback on our safeguarding approach.
Keywords
- Suicide & self-harm
- Schools
- Adolescent
- MENTAL HEALTH
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SMART Schools: Smartphones, social Media and Adolescent mental wellbeing: the impact of school policies Restricting dayTime use
Adab, P. (Co-Investigator), Goodyear, V. (Principal Investigator), Pallan, M. (Co-Investigator), Sitch, A. (Co-Investigator), Michail, M. (Co-Investigator), Al-Janabi, H. (Co-Investigator) & Fenton, S. (Co-Investigator)
1/04/22 → 31/07/25
Project: Other Government Departments