Abstract
Background: The current evidence base for the effectiveness of psychological therapies in acute mental health inpatient settings is varied and results from studies are difficult to compare due to the differences in outcomes measured. Development of a Core Outcome Set (COS), which is a minimum standardised set of outcomes that should be measured and reported, would facilitate the improvement of between study comparability.Methods: This paper is part of a wider study where the aim was to develop a COS for psychological therapy trials on acute mental health inpatient wards. It specifically reports the consensus-driven methods of an online Delphi survey and a final consensus meeting that were used to cut down a longlist of outcomes to a shortlist and subsequently the final COS.
Results: Fifty participants took part in the online Delphi study. A longlist of 68 outcomes was reduced to a short list of 12 during 2 rounds of Delphi. Nine participants attended the final consensus meeting, after which 6 outcomes were suggested for the final COS. These outcomes were: 1) Ability to cope, 2)Hopefulness, 3) Quality of life, 4) Psychosis symptoms, 5) Mood, and 6) Self harm behaviours.
Conclusions: The final COS included a variation of symptom focused, recovery focused and life impact focused outcomes, all of which seem to fit with previous research or link to recommendations for future research. Use of this COS will improve the evidence base, allowing easier and more efficient comparison of studies, potentially leading to the identification of what therapies are most effective in these settings. Future research exploring how to measure each outcome is recommended.
| Date of Award | 20 Sept 2024 |
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| Original language | English |
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| Supervisor | Pamela Jacobsen (Supervisor) |