Dates: 1 April 2016 - 31 March 2019
Funder: Economic and Social Research Council
Project description
Around one in 10 young people in the UK experience significant emotional or behavioural problems. Schools are a particularly good place to tackle this because they are one of the few places that nearly all young people go to. In fact, evidence suggests that young people are 10 times more likely to attend a school-based intervention than to look for support elsewhere. One such intervention, school-based counselling, can provide young people with a space to talk through their problems, get things off their chest, and work out for themselves what they want to do in a supportive, confidential and understanding relationship. Initial evidence gathered through several small pilot studies indicate that a standardised form of this intervention, school-based humanistic counselling, may lead to improved well-being.
The ETHOS study is evaluating the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of school-based, humanistic counselling by conducting the first randomised controlled controlled trial of this type of intervention. ETHOS brings together some of the UK's leading academics in counselling and psychotherapy to positively impact the national provision of mental health support for young people.
Methods
The study is recruiting about 20 secondary schools, who do not currently have counselling provision, in London and will recieve a high quality, professional counselling service at no cost to the school (or to young people and their families) for two years.
More than 300 pupils aged 13-16 who are assessed as 'experiencing symptoms of emotional distress' will take part in the project. Some of these young people will receive up to 10 weeks of school-based humanistic counselling, while others will receive their school’s usual pastoral care services.
At regular intervals the study team will evaluate the effectiveness of school-based humanistic counselling in terms of psychological well-being and distress. At the end of the trial they will also evaluate outcomes related to educational performance, and whether the benefits of providing a counselling service justify the costs.
Further project information
Principal Investigator: Professor Mick Cooper, University of Roehampton
CPEC Research team: Jeni Beecham, Eva-Maria Bonin
Collaborators: University of Sheffield, University of Manchester, University College London, Metanoia Institute, the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and the National Children’s Bureau
Countries: England
Keywords: School-based counselling, costs, outcomes
Contact
Jeni Beecham
j.beecham@lse.ac.uk