A teenage boy sitting at a table doing school work while his mother looks over his shoulder at what he is doing.

An explorative study of digital mental health programs for teenagers with neurodevelopmental conditions 

You are invited to participate in a research study to understand the emotional needs of teenagers with cerebral palsy.

Researchers at the Sydney Children’s Hospital at Westmead want to: 

  • understand the emotional experience of teenagers with cerebral palsy 
  • identify supports that may be helpful  
  • explore different ways for teenagers and their families to learn about emotions and strategies.  

To do this, teenagers and their parents are invited to attend a focus group – face-to-face or online – where they can share their experiences and ideas.  

This important contribution of people with lived experience will shape adaptations to a program that teaches emotion skills to best suit the needs of teenagers and their families. 

Who can participate?  

Teenagers aged 12 to 17 years old with a diagnosis of cerebral palsy (excluding teenagers with co-occurring moderate or below moderate intellectual disability) and their parents / carers. 

What is involved? One online questionnaire and for adolescents, a 60-90 minute face-to-face OR online focus group and for parents, a 60-minute online focus group. 

Click here to download the flyer

Recruitment end date: 31st May 2024 

Contact Name:  Anita Gardiner (Research Psychologist, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead) 

Email: Anita.Gardner@health.nsw.gov.au 

 

To participate in the study, simply: 

Click on the link below that will give you more detailed information and click yes in the consent question on page six

More information 

The research project will be designed to benefit teenagers with cerebral palsy. The project involves the implementation of The Feelings Program for Adolescents (TFP-A), and 18-session program that is designed to support adolescents with the emotional ups and downs that are common in teenage years.   

The program has previously been successfully implemented with autistic teenagers and the research team from the SCHN and our Research Institute are now keen to find out how the program can be adapted to teenagers with cerebral palsy.  

The good news is that the project will not just be open to clients in the Sydney area, but also to clients from the NSW regional offices and our office in ACT, as it divided into two types of delivery – clinic based face-to-face program (Sydney region) and a home-based online program (NSW and ACT). 

The project has two parts: Part A Focus Groups, and Part B – Implementation. We are seeking an Expression of Interest from you to take part in either or both. 

The closure date for the Expression of Interest is 31 May 2024.