Mapping Irish child and young people's health datasets and national policy frameworks: a scoping review protocol with a quantitative gap-analysis framework.

Putting Adolescent Health at the Heart of Pediatrics

British Journal of School NursingVol. 13, No. 10 RepresentationSchool nursing's potential to have an impact on the prevention agenda and mental health outcomes: A position statementSharon WhiteSharon WhiteSearch for more papers by this authorSharon WhitePublished Online:18 Dec 2018https://doi.org/10.12968/bjsn.2018.13.10.514AboutSectionsView articleView Full TextPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail View article References British Youth Council. Our School Nurse: Young people's views on the role of the school nurse. 2011. BYC Google ScholarDay P. Motivating Teen Spirit: Early metal health intervention. BJSN. 2016;11(2): 93 Link, Google ScholarDepartment of Health. Healthy Child Programme: 5 to 19 years old. 2009. https://bit.ly/2rk8dmA Google ScholarDepartment of Health. Chief Medical Officer annual report 2012: children and young people's health. 2013. https://bit.ly/1iTKqlz Google ScholarDepartment of Health. Future in mind—Promoting, protecting and improving our children and young people's mental health and wellbeing. 2015. https://bit.ly/2Kr7RTn Google ScholarDepartment of Health, Department for Education. Transforming Children and Young People's Mental Health Provision: a Green Paper. 2017. https://bit.ly/2H51qGU Google ScholarDepartment of Health, Public Health England. Maximising the school nursing team contribution to the public health of school-aged children—Guidance to support the commissioning of public health provision for school aged children 5–19. 2014. DH, PHE Google ScholarDepartment of Health and Social Care. Prevention is better than cure: our vision to help you live well for longer. 2018. https://bit.ly/2SLpZvG Google ScholarDepartment of Health and Social Care, Public Health England. Overview of the 6 early years and school aged years high impact areas. Health visitors and school nurses leading the Healthy Child Programme. 2018. https://bit.ly/2AqfGVG Google ScholarKay CM, Morgan DL, Tripp JH, Davies C, Sykes S. To what extent are school drop-in clinics meeting pupils self-identified health concerns? Health Education Journal. 2006;65(3):236–251 Crossref, Google ScholarKelly N, Greaves C, Buckland L, Rose J. ‘School nurses: well placed to address challenging behaviour’. Community Practitioner 2005;78(3):88–92 Google ScholarMarmot. Fair society, healthy lives: The Marmot Review: strategic review of health inequalities in England post-2010. 2010 Google ScholarMasters R, Anwar E, Collins B, Cookson R, Capewell S. Return on investment of public health interventions: a systematic review. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2017 Aug;71(8):827-834. doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/jech-2016-208141 Crossref, Google ScholarPublic Health England. All Our Health: about the framework. 2018. https://bit.ly/2qipnAM Google ScholarRoyal College of Nursing. 2017. The Best Start: The Future of Children's Health: Valuing school nurses and health visitors in England. https://bit.ly/2Rwu2uG Google Scholar FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsCited byExtending the mental health expertise of school nurses: Evaluating a training programmeStephen Abbott, Rosamund Bryar, Ruth Cohen, Jane Gibbons, Lucy Marks15 November 2019 | British Journal of School Nursing, Vol. 14, No. 9 2 December 2018Volume 13Issue 10ISSN (print): 1752-2803ISSN (online): 2052-2827 Metrics History Published online 18 December 2018 Published in print 2 December 2018 Information© MA Healthcare LimitedAcknowledgments:Thanks go to Kate Murdock, children's health service manager, South Locality—Trafford Division, and Sallyann Sutton, professional lead—school nursing, for leadership in pulling together this position statement on behalf of SAPHNA.PDF download

Transitioning from child to adult services is a significant event for young adults. The study aimed to explore the experiences of young adults who transitioned from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) to Adult Mental Health Services (AMHS) in Ireland. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six young adults and analysed according to interpretative phenomenological analysis. Interpretations were subsequently viewed through the lens of transition theory. Findings indicate that the transition presents major challenges for young adults and can cause a deterioration in mental health, in the context of multiple concurrent life transitions, discontinuity of care, a dramatic culture shift in AMHS, and experiences of impersonal care. Participants expressed their view that AMHS clinicians did not know how to approach their treatment due to a lack of available options or diagnosis-specific expertise, leading these individuals to question the validity of their suffering; this is a novel finding in the context of previous transition research. The utility of transition theory in developing a CAMHS-AMHS transition framework is demonstrated.

Physical activity interventions can confer a range of physical and mental health benefits among young people with mental disorders. In some contexts, such as Ireland, integrated physical activity is not easily available within child and adolescent mental health services. Therefore, an interagency pilot intervention was established in a child and adolescent mental health service in Ireland with the integration of a novel exercise practitioner into the multidisciplinary mental health team. A qualitative evaluation was conducted to understand the impact of the pilot intervention and to understand issues of implementation that arose throughout. In-depth qualitative interviews with service users' parents/guardians (N = 3) and a single focus group with existing service providers (N = 3), framed by the RE-AIM framework were conducted to evaluate the pilot intervention. Data were analysed using thematic analysis to explore themes. Three overarching themes were identified. These were as follows: (i) Making changes toward healthier physical activity behaviours; (ii) An intervention of therapeutic holism; and (iii) The integrated service delivery. This research provides insight on the value of a novel integrated exercise practitioner in outpatient young persons' mental health services in Ireland, indicating an enhanced and complimentary therapeutic service. These findings will be helpful for integrating Exercise Practitioners in this setting going forward.

Despite advancements in biomedical and healthcare research, the translation of evidence into routine practice within healthcare systems often lags, perpetuating inefficiencies and disparities in care delivery. Learning health systems (LHS), which integrate internal data and external evidence for continuous improvement, hold promise for addressing these gaps. Implementation science (IS), focused on promoting the systematic uptake of evidence-based practices, offers a robust framework to drive sustainable improvements within LHS. However, the practical application of IS principles in LHS remains underexplored. This scoping review aims to systematically map the literature on the application of IS in LHS, highlighting themes, gaps and opportunities for advancing future practices. This review will follow the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology for scoping reviews, supported by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) checklist. The review employs a population-concept-context framework, focusing on studies engaged in LHS activities and the application of IS principles in various healthcare settings. Relevant literature will be searched across multiple databases, including OVID/Medline, Embase, Web of Science Core Collection and Health Policy Reference Center. Eligible studies will be screened, and data will be extracted and synthesised using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Key outcomes include characterising IS applications in LHS, evaluating barriers and facilitators, exploring equity integration, and identifying knowledge gaps. As this study does not involve primary data collection, ethical approval is not required. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations to inform future research and practice. This protocol has been registered on the Open Science Framework (DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/BMQ6J).

BackgroundThe FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) data principles are a guideline to improve the reusability of data. However, properly implementing these principles is challenging due to a wide range of barriers.ObjectivesTo further the field of FAIR data, this study aimed to systematically identify barriers regarding implementing the FAIR principles in the area of child and adolescent mental health research, define the most challenging barriers, and provide recommendations for these barriers.MethodsThree sources were used as input to identify barriers: (1) evaluation of the implementation process of the Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership Common Data Model by 3 data managers; (2) interviews with experts on mental health research, reusable health data, and data quality; and (3) a rapid literature review. All barriers were categorized according to type as described previously, the affected FAIR principle, a category to add detail about the origin of the barrier, and whether a barrier was mental health specific. The barriers were assessed and ranked on impact with the data managers using the Delphi method.ResultsThirteen barriers were identified by the data managers, 7 were identified by the experts, and 30 barriers were extracted from the literature. This resulted in 45 unique barriers. The characteristics that were most assigned to the barriers were, respectively, external type (n=32/45; eg, organizational policy preventing the use of required software), tooling category (n=19/45; ie, software and databases), all FAIR principles (n=15/45), and not mental health specific (n=43/45). Consensus on ranking the scores of the barriers was reached after 2 rounds of the Delphi method. The most important recommendations to overcome the barriers are adding a FAIR data steward to the research team, accessible step-by-step guides, and ensuring sustainable funding for the implementation and long-term use of FAIR data.ConclusionsBy systematically listing these barriers and providing recommendations, we intend to enhance the awareness of researchers and grant providers that making data FAIR demands specific expertise, available tooling, and proper investments.

Adolescent Health Measurement—A Necessary Step Toward Achieving Global Goals

Teenpath COVID is a mixed-methods, participatory study exploring the experiences of young people in Ireland since the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts on existing health inequalities. As part of an exploratory sequential research design, we conducted a stakeholder analysis, online survey, and participatory arts programme evaluation to identify cross-cutting issues impacting the health and well-being of young people in Dublin and across Ireland. Interviews conducted with stakeholders spanning youth service, public health, and education sectors, and young people aged 16-25 explored individuals’ experiences of the pandemic; adaptations to working and maintaining engagement online; key concerns about young people's health and wellbeing; and priorities for future research and policy. Thematic analysis identified impacts of the pandemic on health inequalities with potential policy implications. This informed a subsequent online survey exploring young people's mental health since the pandemic, and an ethnographic case study of a participatory arts programme exploring key issues important to young people in Dublin. Our findings suggest the pandemic has impacted predominantly on young people's mental health and access to youth mental health services; disruption to work, education and social and peer support networks; and health behaviours. Protective measures, from accessing and maintaining social support networks, to developing coping strategies were important for young people's mental health. However the extent to which these were possible was shaped significantly by individuals’ personal circumstances at the time. These findings show the importance of social participation and support for young people in navigating the uncertainties and difficulties of growing up in a pandemic. Participatory approaches can be a pathway for aligning healthy priorities and policy that contributes unique and rich insights into community health, and places young people at the centre of change. Key messages • Young people in Ireland have experienced significant impacts to their mental health since the COVID-19 pandemic began, particularly regarding disruptions to education and social support networks. • Participatory approaches to research and youth engagement with young people is important for gathering high quality and diverse data on complex topics such as mental health and health inequalities.

Since the growth of research into neighbourhood effects on young people's health in the 1980s, there have been major societal changes and scientific methodological advancements. In this systematic review we will, therefore, discuss the recent (>2009) literature on the association between neighbourhood deprivation and young people's (0-19 years old) mental health and well-being. We focus on whether neighbourhood deprivation effects exist, and how and for whom the neighbourhood matters. Together, the thirty studies included in the review indicate that overall there are neighbourhood effects on young people's mental health and well-being. The comparison of results from these studies suggests that such associations were more commonly found for well-being and externalising problem behaviour rather than internalising problem behaviour. Also, mental health and well-being seemed to be more often associated with the neighbourhood social environment than neighbourhood socio-economic status and neighbourhood disorder. Studies investigating mediating processes between the linkage between neighbourhood deprivation and mental health and well-being were rare although there was some evidence that processes within the family and peer context are important mechanisms in this linkage. Inconsistent evidence was found regarding the moderating role of age, gender, and ethnicity. There are ongoing challenges of researching the how and for whom neighbourhoods are important. We should work towards rigorous theory and evidence on how different features of residential contexts matter and on differential exposure and vulnerability to these contexts.

There is increasing evidence that various components of adverse housing conditions may influence mental health outcomes for children and young people. A comprehensive review whether, and to what extent these exposures impact on children and young people's mental health is missing from the literature. To conduct a systematic review of the evidence regarding the association between adverse housing conditions (excluding homelessness) and mental health in children and young people aged 2–24 years. We searched peer-reviewed literature for relevant quantitative studies in electronic databases (MEDLINE, Embase, and PsycINFO), grey literature, and reference lists of identified articles published in English from January 2000. Risk of bias was assessed using the Navigation Guide, and results were described via a narrative synthesis. Thirty-four studies spanning 18 countries met our inclusion criteria. Adverse housing conditions were indicated by overcrowding, poor facilities or structural quality, no access to natural space at home (e.g., private or shared garden or balcony), energy poverty, mould or damp, indoor air pollution, and indoor noise. Children and young people's mental health was measured by self- or caregiver-reported emotional and behavioural problems, depression, stress, general well-being, quality of life (QoL), social competence, hyperactivity or inattention, and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms. Thirty-one of 34 studies (91.2 %) were rated as "low” to “probably high” risk of bias. Twenty-seven studies (79.4 %) found that adverse housing conditions were associated with mental health difficulties including emotional and behavioural problems, depression, hyperactivity symptoms and ASD symptoms, and reduced mental health competence in children and young people. Evidence predominantly suggests that overcrowding and mould or damp exposures are significantly associated with mental health problems. Adverse housing conditions have a negative impact on children and young people's mental health, particularly on emotional or behavioural problems and mental well-being. Future studies should use standardised and objective measures of adverse housing exposures and cohort study designs to determine any critical or sensitive periods of exposure. Policies to improve housing for families with children are likely to have mental health benefits for children and young people. Funding and registration: None; registered at PROSPERO: CRD42022373171. • This paper synthesises published research evidence on poor housing conditions and mental health in children and young people (CYP). • Adverse housing conditions such as mould or damp, overcrowding, and poor facilities or structural quality are associated with worse mental health in CYP. • The highest-quality evidence demonstrated a clear negative effect of mould or damp on mental health in CYP. • Future research should use standardised and validated exposure and outcome definitions.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the commonest disorder presenting to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in Ireland. This article considers the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the provision of mental health services for young people with ADHD with specific reference to the difficulties that have been experienced in ADMiRE, a specialist ADHD service in Dublin, since the outbreak of Covid-19 in Ireland. Current guidelines and alternative ways of ensuring adequate service provision are discussed. Restrictions to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 are likely to continue for many months, and child and adolescent mental health services need to find new ways to provide a sustainable service to young people in Ireland. There is a growing evidence base for the use of telepsychiatry in the assessment and management of ADHD. Factors that should be considered when developing a telepsychiatry service for children and adolescents with ADHD are highlighted.

Health in children and young people (CYP) has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Restrictions in mobility and social contacts limited children and young people in their social development and led to adverse psychological impact. Rising rates of poverty because of lockdowns have been shown to particularly impact families with children, which may exacerbate already existing health inequalities. Containment policies have decreased access to health services and decreased support for CYP from health and social care professionals during the pandemic, which have posed a significant threat to children and young people's physical health, mental and emotional health. To ensure that policies aimed at mitigating the impact of the pandemic on CYP are relevant, it is vital that the voices of CYP are heard. Article 12 of UNCRC establishes the right of a child to express their views in all matters affecting them and for those to be given appropriate consideration. This is a right that is largely not upheld in policymaking, and therefore it is important that the public health sector as advocates for children and young people (CYP) lead on this.The aims of this skill building workshop are to: Showcase positive examples of engagement of CYP in policymakingGain knowledge on the practicalities to make engagement with CYP a mutually beneficial experience Workshop Format The session will be chaired by a young person to role-model the inclusion of CYP, this workshop advocates for.Professor Sonia Saxena, President of the EUPHA section on Child and Adolescent Public Health, will open the session with key points on the importance of engaging CYP in policy making during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.A further two presentations will be delivered by young people who will reflect on their own experience of engagement with policy/research and utilise the lessons learnt to improve CYP engagement in the future.This will be followed by a presentation by a paediatric doctor reflecting on their role in engaging with children and young people to develop a national healthcare patient experience guideline.This series of short presentations will be followed by an interactive case scenario on CYP engagement during the C-19 pandemic. The case study will aim to discuss some of the key practicalities to consider when engaging children and young people in policy making.The session will close with a short panel discussion with the presenters and consensus vote by attendees of next steps to take the learning from the workshop forward. Workshop proceedings will be written up and submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Twitter hashtags will be devised to allow attendees to share work they embark upon within an online community. This community will also be fostered through meetings supported by EUPHA where members can share best practice and solutions to problems encountered.Speakers/Panelists Sonia Saxena Imperial College London, London, UK Rakhee Shah Imperial College, London, UK Gabrielle Mathews Imperial College London, London, UK Bea Albermann University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland Jinane Ghattas UCLouvain, Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, Belgium Key messages COVID19 will have a large impact on children and young people’s health.Engaging children and young people to co-produce policies that affect them, when planning for recovery from the pandemic is crucial in ensuring our policies and research are most impactful.

This paper presents a structured framework to assess the implementation of FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles in health datasets used in regulatory processes for digital health devices. With the FAIR Data Maturity Model from the Research Data Alliance (RDA) and the Pistoia Alliance's FAIR Maturity Matrix as foundational guides, this framework provides a scalable, adaptable approach for evaluating dataset readiness and compliance with regulatory requirements. By focusing on metadata quality, interoperability, and privacy, this study supports regulatory bodies and developers in aligning with FAIR principles, enhancing transparency, and ensuring that data meets the standards necessary for digital health device approval.

The role of school context in the increase in young people's health complaints in Finland

Background: The regulatory bodies for health, mental health and social care services in Ireland, (The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) and the Mental Health Commission (MHC)), jointly developed a paper on key policy considerations, to share learning from our development of national children’s standards, to inform the new Irish national policy framework for children and young people 2023-2028. Methods: To promote greater integration between health and social care services and support better outcomes for children using services, HIQA and the MHC developed a set of national standards for health and social care services working with children. To inform the standards, we undertook an evidence review and engaged with a wide range of stakeholders. Focus groups were held with 217 children, young people and families with experience of services, advocates, staff, inspectors, and policy-makers. Two public consultations were conducted, with 130 responses. Additionally, an Advisory Group representing key stakeholders and a Children’s Reference Group comprised of young people and parents informed the standards. The evidence review and stakeholder consultation identified a range of systemic challenges which impact the quality, safety and coordination of care and support for children using health and social care services. While many of the challenges identified were outside the scope of the standards, it was clear that these challenges would significantly impact the ability of services to implement the standards in practice, and stakeholders called for these issues to be highlighted to policy-makers responsible for health and social care services. Initiative: The development of the new national policy framework for children and young people provided an opportunity for HIQA and the MHC to use the learnings gathered from evidence and stakeholder feedback to inform this system-wide policy framework. The policy considerations paper shares our learnings regarding challenges to quality improvement in the children’s health and social care sector and the national policy considerations needed to address these challenges, in order to improve the care and support provided to children. It sets out three key areas that important advances can be made in: •improving interagency working; •supporting effective transitions from child to adult services; and •supporting services to deliver timely and appropriate care and support. Policy considerations suggested included the introduction of legislation to support integrated working, shared health and social care budgets, and a national approach to workforce planning. Impact: The policy considerations paper brings together HIQA and the MHC’s review of evidence and experiential learning for policy-makers to consider at a critical time in the development of the children’s policy framework. It sets out valuable, system-wide insights to inform progress towards greater integration of care and support for children using health and social care services. The paper has been published on the organisations website and submitted to relevant policy-makers. The findings are reflected in the final national policy framework ‘Young Ireland: 2023-2028’ published November 2023, demonstrating active people involvement in the effective translation of evidence to policy and practice.