Ensuring the stability of foster placements for looked after children is a priority for social services. Many previous studies have highlighted the negative psychological, social and academic consequences of placement breakdown for foster children, but less is known about how services can effectively promote placement stability. A systematic review and narrative synthesis of research examining correlates of placement moves and breakdown were undertaken in order to inform practice in this area. Qualitative studies were included alongside quantitative research, providing additional insights into the processes that facilitate and impede placement stability. Correlates of increased placement instability with the strongest evidence included older age of children, externalising behaviour, longer total time in care, residential care as first placement setting, separation from siblings, foster-care versus kinship care and experience of multiple social workers. Key protective factors included placements with siblings, placements with older foster-carers, more experienced foster-carers with strong parenting skills, and placements where foster-carers provide opportunities for children to develop intellectually. Following from these findings, a conceptual framework is proposed that distinguishes vulnerability and protective factors as well as background and immediate factors. Implications for front line social work practice, including the development of manualised tools, are discussed.

School-based mental health services have been advocated to increase access to psychological support for children and adolescents. However, concerns have been raised about the potential stigma associated with selection of students and the visibility of school-based service contact. This review assessed findings from qualitative studies to identify potential stigmatising effects of participation in targeted school-based mental health interventions for students attending primary- or secondary-level education. Eight articles (reflecting seven studies) were identified through electronic database searches (PsycInfo, EMBASE, Medline, CINAHL, ERIC), supplemented by citation and reference searches and expert consultations. Data were synthesised according to established guidelines for thematic synthesis. Three overarching themes were identified: "anticipated and experienced stigma", "consequences of stigma" and "mitigating strategies". These findings illustrate how pervasively stigma can compromise efforts to increase access to mental health care through targeted school-based provision, while also outlining strategies endorsed by students for alleviating the risk and/or impact of stigma. The findings need to be considered in view of the relative scarcity of surveyed evidence. Furthermore, as all evidence came from high-income and Western countries, the applicability to other contexts is unclear. This synthesis reflects the first overview of qualitative evidence regarding stigmatising experiences and concerns associated with students' engagement with targeted school-based mental health interventions. The findings should inform efforts for mitigating stigma-related barriers to students' engagement in targeted mental health support, and serve to guide future research in this area.

The development of ‘youth-friendly’ services has become a priority across a wide range of health-care contexts. However, relatively few studies have specifically examined users’ experiences of, and preferences for, child and adolescent mental health care. The current study investigated young service users’ views of outpatient and community mental health clinics in Sweden, based on two data sources. First, focus group interviews were conducted with seven children and adolescents (aged 10–18 years) to explore both positive and negative experiences of mental health care. Second, written suggestions about specific service improvements were obtained from 106 children and adolescents. Qualitative content analysis revealed three overarching themes: ‘Accessibility’, ‘Being heard and seen’ and ‘Usefulness of sessions’. Young people’s recommendations for improving practice included more convenient appointment times, offered in welcoming settings; opportunities to communicate more openly with clinical staff, enabling sensitive discussion of mental health and wider personal issues; and more structured treatments that offer greater credibility and relevance to young people’s mental health and developmental needs. Young people also discussed being compelled by parents and school professionals to engage in treatment. Attending to young people’s preferences must be a priority in order to overcome ambivalence about session attendance, and enhance treatment participation and outcomes.

This study addressed psychological needs, patterns of service utilization and provision of care in a specialist mental health service for young refugees and asylum seekers in London. Comparisons were made between two groups with different levels of postulated mental health need: unaccompanied minors (UAMs; n = 49) and children accompanied to the UK by one or more primary caregivers (n = 29). Significant differences were observed in referral pathways, with UAMs more likely to be referred by social services and less likely to be referred from medical agencies. UAMs also attended fewer sessions during treatment, and missed a greater proportion of scheduled appointments. Contrary to prediction, group comparisons revealed similar levels of post-migration stress and overall psychological morbidity. However, UAMs experienced significantly more traumatic events prior to resettlement, and were more likely to exhibit symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than their accompanied peers. Despite their elevated risk of PTSD, UAMs were less likely than accompanied children to have received trauma-focused interventions. UAMs were also significantly less likely to have been treated using cognitive therapy, anxiety management and parent/carer training, as well as receiving fewer types of practical assistance with basic social needs. The clinical and service implications of these findings are discussed.

The PRIDE programme aims to establish a suite of transdiagnostic psychological interventions organised around a stepped care system in Indian secondary schools. This paper describes the development of a low-intensity, first-line component of the PRIDE model. Contextual and global evidence informed an intervention 'blueprint' with problem solving as the primary practice element. Successive iterations were tested and modified across two pilot cohort studies (N = 45; N = 39). Participants were aged 13-20 years and presenting with elevated mental health symptoms in New Delhi schools. The first iteration of the intervention, based on a guided self-help modality, showed promising outcomes and user satisfaction when delivered by psychologists. However, delivery was not feasible within the intended 6-week schedule, and participants struggled to use materials outside 'guidance' sessions. In Pilot 2, a modified counsellor-led problem-solving intervention was implemented by less experienced counsellors over a 3-4 week schedule. Outcomes were maintained, with indications of enhanced feasibility and acceptability. High demand was observed across both pilots, leading to more stringent eligibility criteria and a modified sensitisation plan. Findings have shaped a first-line intervention for common adolescent mental health problems in low-resource settings. A forthcoming randomised controlled trial will test its effectiveness.