We are delighted to share news of an early D-CYPHR success story: a research team applying to the BioResource to access our panel of young volunteers, and in return, an excellent response rate from D-CYPHR families wanting to join the study.
Mental health of young people is one of the first areas to be highlighted with a new study - SPARX UK - exploring how games can help young people better access potentially life-changing cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). SPARX, a gaming-inspired early intervention therapy platform, made a noted impact in New Zealand following its launch in 2014, helping young people with depression who were less able to respond to or access conventional modes of therapy. It is being trialled for the first time in the UK with a new focus: how can the e-therapy platform be made more engaging for young people, and can an e-coach help them get more benefit?
This is sorely needed, with the NHS reporting in 2023 that one in five children and young people in England had a probable mental health disorder, and the University of Cambridge and National Children's Bureau reporting this August that many of the most vulnerable children find it hardest to access the mental health care they need.
Helping researchers find participants more easily
Early intervention and easy to access mental health tools are one of the many mental health research areas that D-CYPHR at the NIHR BioResource is looking to support with the help of its young participant community.
Participants with mild to moderate depression aged 11-19 years are invited to take part in the SPARX-UK trial. Those who are interested simply have to tell the research team they’d be happy to hear more, and are then invited to a call with a researcher who provides more information about the trial so an informed decision can be made about getting involved. In addition to the D-CYPHR cohort (volunteer group), participants have also been recruited from various mental health trusts and services, and we are proud to report that the D-CYPHR cohort has been one of the most responsive in support of the study. Since August, nearly half (14) of 31 recruits into SPARX-UK were from the D-CYPHR (volunteer) cohort.
The NIHR BioResource works by helping to match prospective study participants with researchers. Families who join have already provided full details on their health and lifestyle, as well as a genetic sample – this helps find the best potential volunteers most quickly in a group already open to supporting health research. Families from D-CYPHR were exceptionally fast in responding to invitations to join the study, leading to a jump in participants for SPARX UK.
D-CYPHR was able to refer four times the amount of participants expected in the study’s monthly target.
Dr Hannah Williams, Research Studies Recall Manager at NIHR BioResource commented:
“We have been delighted to see how many families have been interested in the first mental health study brought forward for D-CYPHR volunteer families to consider, and how this has helped the study meet their targets much more quickly.
“This is a great example of how D-CYPHR and any cohort at the BioResource can assist researchers. As volunteer numbers continue to grow and more researchers make applications to partner with us, we look forward to delivering many more studies and making positive changes to healthcare for young people and the adults they become.”
Dr Camilla Babbage, Trial Manager for SPARX-UK commented:
“Working with BioResource has given us a significant boost to recruitment for the SPARX-UK trial. In research trials, we face many challenges to recruiting large numbers of young people and we were worried we might not reach our targets. Since BioResource have come on board, we’re seeing the numbers we need to be able to understand the impact of different engagement methods alongside digital interventions such as SPARX. We’ve never been closer to our targets! Further, implementing this method of recruitment felt seamless, both to our research team and to the participants who have seemed eager to get involved.”
About SPARX
The e-therapy in SPARX was developed by researchers at the University of Auckland with the help of young people and takes the format of a game. In it you take on an avatar who must navigate through levels in a fantasy world. As you play you learn different ways to manage your mood. There are seven levels in total each taking 30-45 minutes to complete, in each level you have different tasks based on cognitive behavioural therapy. Importantly, it can be done from home or on your phone, so it removes the barriers to participation that exist for in-person appointments. SPARX has been shown to have positive results in supporting young people with depressive symptoms in New Zealand and other countries. The platform has also had improvements to support a wider range of young people, including a second edition launched in 2021 to better engage LGBTQI+ participants and another version aimed at preventing young people’s mood deteriorating.
The SPARX-UK study is being led by Professor Chris Hollis at the University of Nottingham.
Your family can support mental health studies like SPARX-UK and many more by joining D-CYPHR online. Your contribution could provide clues for diabetes, mental health conditions, heart disease, rare diseases and immune conditions, and the BioResource can contact you first with important childhood health studies your family could support.
D-CYPHR is open to families with children aged 0 - 15 with a UK address.