Department of Youth and Family, Utrecht University, PO box 80140, 3508TC, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Department of Forensic Child and Youth Care Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
BMC Health Serv Res. 2020 Jul 25;20(1):692. doi: 10.1186/s12913-020-05553-3.
Multi-problem families face problems in several domains that are often found to be chronic and intergenerational. Effective mental health care for youth from these families is currently lacking, urging research on new methods. The InConnection approach is an integrated care program to improve resilience in multi-problem families by connecting the professional expertise from multiple disciplines with the informal social network of the youth. Specifically, youth are asked to nominate a youth initiated mentor (YIM) from among the supportive adults in their network. The aim of this protocol is to describe the design of a mixed-methods study to examine the effectiveness and working mechanisms of the InConnection approach.
METHOD/DESIGN: The effectiveness of the InConnection approach is studied in a quasi-experimental questionnaire study using propensity score matching, with N = 300 families with youth aged 10-23 years receiving treatment in either the intervention group (InConnection approach) or the control group (care as usual). The main outcome variables include youth resilience (primary), youth mental health, parental functioning, and the number, duration and types of out-of-home placements. Mediators, moderators, and predictors of effectiveness are examined. Assessments take place at the start of the care program and after three, nine and 15 months. Additionally, semi-structured interviews are conducted with families who have and have not nominated a YIM to understand why some families successfully nominate a YIM, whereas others do not.
Effective care for youth in multi-problem families is urgently needed. Given its flexibility and accessibility to suit all youth aged 10-23 years from multi-problem families, and its low costs compared to out-of-home placements, the InConnection approach seems an appealing approach to support these families. The current study will provide information on the effectiveness of the InConnection approach. Strengths of this study include its robust design, the ecological validity, and the inclusion of possible mediators, predictors, and moderators of treatment effects.
Netherlands Trial Register NL7565 . Retrospectively registered on March 5, 2019.
多问题家庭在多个领域面临问题，这些问题往往是慢性的和代际的。目前，针对这些家庭的青少年缺乏有效的心理健康护理，因此迫切需要研究新的方法。InConnection 方法是一种综合护理计划，通过将来自多个学科的专业知识与青少年的非正式社交网络联系起来，来提高多问题家庭的适应力。具体来说，要求青少年从他们的社交网络中选择一个由青少年发起的导师（YIM）。本研究旨在描述一项混合方法研究的设计，以检验 InConnection 方法的有效性和作用机制。
方法/设计：采用倾向评分匹配的准实验问卷调查研究，研究 InConnection 方法的有效性，样本量为 N=300 个家庭，家庭中有 10-23 岁的青少年接受治疗，分为干预组（InConnection 方法）和对照组（常规护理）。主要结局变量包括青少年适应力（主要）、青少年心理健康、父母功能以及离家出走的次数、持续时间和类型。还将检验中介因素、调节因素和预测因素。评估在护理计划开始时以及 3、9 和 15 个月后进行。此外，对已经和尚未提名 YIM 的家庭进行半结构化访谈，以了解为什么有些家庭成功提名 YIM，而有些家庭则没有。
多问题家庭的青少年急需有效护理。鉴于其灵活性和可及性，适用于所有 10-23 岁的多问题家庭青少年，且与离家出走相比成本较低，因此 InConnection 方法似乎是一种支持这些家庭的有吸引力的方法。本研究将提供有关 InConnection 方法有效性的信息。本研究的优势包括其强大的设计、生态有效性以及纳入治疗效果的可能中介因素、预测因素和调节因素。
荷兰临床试验注册中心 NL7565. 2019 年 3 月 5 日进行回顾性注册。
