title: The Herts and minds study: evaluating the effectiveness of mentalization-based treatment (MBT) as an intervention for children in foster care with emotional and/or behavioural problems: a phase II, feasibility, randomised controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A significant proportion of children in the social care system in England present with mental health problems, with the majority experiencing some form of emotional and behavioural difficulties. The most effective treatments for these children are currently unknown, partly due to a lack of robust, controlled studies. Researchers have identified a number of obstacles to conducting well-designed research with this population, making the need to test the feasibility of a randomised controlled trial especially important.
  
  
  METHODS
  This protocol outlines a two-arm, randomised control feasibility trial to explore the acceptability and credibility of mentalization-based treatment (MBT) as a treatment for reducing emotional and behavioural difficulties in looked after children and to test the possibility of addressing a number of methodological challenges to conducting high-quality research with this population. MBT is a relatively new intervention which, in the adaptation of the model tested here, includes many of the features of therapy identified in NICE guidelines as necessary to support children in care. The two arms are MBT and usual clinical care (UCC). The study will take place in Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust with follow-up at 12 and 24 weeks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study will aim to ascertain whether it is worthwhile and feasible to progress to testing the intervention in a full-scale definitive randomised controlled trial (RCT). This study therefore has the potential to improve our understanding of the obstacles to conducting high-quality research with this very vulnerable population, and in the medium term, could help to improve the stability of foster placements and the emotional well-being of children in care.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  ISRCTN90349442.
authors.affiliation: The Child Attachment and Psychological Therapies Research Unit (ChAPTRe), The Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, 12 Maresfield Gardens, London, NW3 5SU UK.|Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT UK.
authors.forename: Nick
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-6263-5058
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Midgley
authors.affiliation: The Child Attachment and Psychological Therapies Research Unit (ChAPTRe), The Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, 12 Maresfield Gardens, London, NW3 5SU UK.|Centre for Health Services and Clinical Research, The University of Hertfordshire, Health Research Building, College Lane, Hatfield, AL10 9AB UK.|Research and Development, Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, The Colonnades, Beaconsfield Road, Hatfield, AL10 8YE UK.
authors.forename: Sarah Jane
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Besser
authors.affiliation: Centre for Health Services and Clinical Research, The University of Hertfordshire, Health Research Building, College Lane, Hatfield, AL10 9AB UK.
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dye
authors.affiliation: Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT UK.
authors.forename: Pasco
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fearon
authors.affiliation: Centre for Health Services and Clinical Research, The University of Hertfordshire, Health Research Building, College Lane, Hatfield, AL10 9AB UK.|Research and Development, Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, The Colonnades, Beaconsfield Road, Hatfield, AL10 8YE UK.
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gale
authors.affiliation: The Child Attachment and Psychological Therapies Research Unit (ChAPTRe), The Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, 12 Maresfield Gardens, London, NW3 5SU UK.|Centre for Health Services and Clinical Research, The University of Hertfordshire, Health Research Building, College Lane, Hatfield, AL10 9AB UK.|Research and Development, Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, The Colonnades, Beaconsfield Road, Hatfield, AL10 8YE UK.
authors.forename: Kiri
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jefferies-Sewell
authors.affiliation: The Child Attachment and Psychological Therapies Research Unit (ChAPTRe), The Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, 12 Maresfield Gardens, London, NW3 5SU UK.|Centre for Health Services and Clinical Research, The University of Hertfordshire, Health Research Building, College Lane, Hatfield, AL10 9AB UK.|Research and Development, Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, The Colonnades, Beaconsfield Road, Hatfield, AL10 8YE UK.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Irvine
authors.affiliation: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, Forest Lane, Radlett, WD7 9HQ UK.
authors.forename: Joyce
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.affiliation: Centre for Health Services and Clinical Research, The University of Hertfordshire, Health Research Building, College Lane, Hatfield, AL10 9AB UK.
authors.forename: Solange
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wyatt
authors.affiliation: Centre for Health Services and Clinical Research, The University of Hertfordshire, Health Research Building, College Lane, Hatfield, AL10 9AB UK.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wellsted
authors.affiliation: The Child Attachment and Psychological Therapies Research Unit (ChAPTRe), The Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, 12 Maresfield Gardens, London, NW3 5SU UK.
authors.forename: Sally
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wood
keywords: Attachment; Clinical trial; Feasibility study; Looked after children; Mentalization-based treatment; Reflective practice