Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41714992›Full record

Trial reportBMC psychiatry2026

Intensive community care services for adolescents with acute psychiatric emergencies: trial feasibility findings from the pilot phase of a multi-centre randomised controlled trial.

Dennis Ougrin, Thilipan Thaventhiran, Ben Hoi-Ching Wong, Izabela Pilecka, Sabine Landau, Sarah Byford, Petrina Chu, Hassan Jafari, Margaret Heslin, Emma Tassie and 10 more

Abstract readRandomized Controlled TrialMulticenter Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMC psychiatry, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing 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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Article
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

20 authors.

Dennis OugrinWolfson Institute of Population Health, Queen Mary University of London, Charterhouse Square, London, EC1M 6BQ, UK.
Thilipan ThaventhiranWolfson Institute of Population Health, Queen Mary University of London, Charterhouse Square, London, EC1M 6BQ, UK. thilipan.thaventhiran06@imperial.ac.uk.
Ben Hoi-Ching WongEast London NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
Izabela PileckaKing's College London, London, UK.
Sabine LandauKing's College London, London, UK.
Sarah ByfordKing's College London, London, UK.
Petrina ChuKing's College London, London, UK.
Hassan JafariKing's College London, London, UK.
Margaret HeslinKing's College London, London, UK.
Emma TassieKing's College London, London, UK.
Paula ReaveyLondon South Bank University, London, UK.
Toby ZundelSouth London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
Mandy WaitSouth London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
Ruth WoolhouseEast London NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
Tauseef MehdiBerkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Bracknell, UK.
Jovanka TolmacCentral and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
Joe ClaceyOxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK.
Leon WehnckeNorth East London NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
Veronika Beatrice DoblerCambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK.
Rhys Bevan-JonesCardiff University, Cardiff, UK.

Funding

National Institute for Health and Care Research NIHR127408
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAdolescents experiencing psychiatric emergencies often require intensive intervention to avoid hospital admission and support their transition into education, employment, or training (EET). Intensive Community Care Services (ICCS) offer a potential alternative to inpatient care. This pilot study aimed to assess the feasibility of conducting a randomised controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the effectiveness of ICCS compared to treatment as usual (TAU) in reducing time to start or return to EET.

methodsA multi-centre, parallel-group, single-blinded randomised controlled trial (RCT) with an internal pilot phase was conducted across seven NHS Trusts in the UK. Adolescents aged 12–17 experiencing psychiatric emergencies were randomised to ICCS or treatment as usual (TAU). The primary outcome was time to start or return to EET within six months. Secondary outcomes included clinical symptoms, functioning, service satisfaction, service use, and health-related quality of life. Descriptive statistics and hazard ratios were calculated to explore group differences. Feasibility was assessed against pre-specified progression criteria.

resultsThirty-six adolescents were randomised during the internal pilot phase. The recruitment rate did not meet the progression criteria, and continuation to a full evaluation trial was deemed unfeasible. During follow-up, 83.3% (n = 30) returned to EET, with a median time to EET of nine days (IQR: 1–49). Median time to EET was shorter in the ICCS group (6 days) compared to TAU (12 days), with a hazard ratio of 1.34 (95% CI: 0.63–2.86). ICCS was associated with improved service satisfaction, clinical symptoms, and functioning. The average cost per participant was higher in the TAU group (£15,155, SD 31,560) compared to ICCS (£7,063, SD 10,605), with minimal differences in quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Fourteen safety events were reported across both groups.

conclusionsA full evaluation trial was not feasible due to recruitment challenges, primarily arising from limited-service capacity to deliver two treatment pathways concurrently. Despite this, ICCS showed promising trends in clinical and functional outcomes and may offer a viable alternative to inpatient care. Further research is needed to explore the implementation and effectiveness of ICCS in routine practice.

trial registrationISRCTN, ISRCTN42999542. Registered 29/04/2020, https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN42999542 .

Indexed as

Community Mental Health ServicesEmergency Services, PsychiatricMental DisordersAdolescentChildFeasibility StudiesFemaleHumansMalePilot ProjectsQuality of LifeSingle-Blind MethodUnited KingdomAdolescent psychiatryEducationEmploymentFeasibility assessmentIntensive community carePsychiatric emergenciesRandomised controlled trial

Identifiers

PMID41714992
PMCPMC13001206

What Socratic 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 Socratic graph.