title: Improving attendance at child and adolescent mental health services for families from socially disadvantaged communities: evaluation of a pre-intake engagement intervention in the UK.
abstract: Non-attendance of families is a common problem in child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). We report on the development and pilot evaluation of a pre-intake intervention designed to enhance initial engagement at inner-city CAMHS in London, UK. Families receiving the intervention (N = 107) were significantly less likely to miss first appointments compared with contemporaneous (N = 62) or historical (N = 163) control groups. The intervention had similar effects for white and minority ethnic families, and for those from the most and least deprived parts of the locality. Recommendations are made for routine provision of empirically-supported engagement strategies, informed by consultations with service users and providers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK, daniel.m.d.michelson@kcl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Michelson
authors.forename: Crispin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Day
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016497:Adolescent Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010290:Parents; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012923:Social Class; D035862:Vulnerable Populations