Developing groups in a paediatric psychology service: Centring the voices of children and young people.

There is growing evidence for the benefits of therapeutic groups for children and young people living with chronic health conditions. As a paediatric health service, we regularly run 12 different groups, most of which are informed by a Narrative Therapy approach, with new groups routinely created to respond to the changing needs of children and young people. In this paper, we describe how we have stayed connected to our vision and values in developing and delivering group interventions, sharing our process which integrates different methods of participation and involvement to ensure young people's voices are centred. We use three of our recently introduced groups to illustrate these ideas.

Evaluating the beads of life groups: hearing from our participants.

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: The Beads of Life (BOL) approach uses a narratively informed methodology 'to enable children and young people to make sense of their cancer journey in ways that make them stronger'. We will share feedback from BOL groups and reflect on changes made over time. METHOD: Between 2014 and 2019, we have run 14 groups. Participants were aged 13-25, had received a diagnosis of cancer and were either on or had completed treatment. Quantitative and qualitative feedback was gathered at each workshop and 1 month later, with qualitative data then being analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: 106 young people attended the groups. Young people reported that sharing experiences of cancer was useful, that they enjoyed the group and that they were highly likely to recommend it to others. Feedback remained consistent a month post-intervention. Qualitative feedback showed the value young people placed on meeting others, sharing their stories and on things they learnt about themselves from the group. DISCUSSION: Themes support the intention of the intervention to provide a safe space for young people to share and reflect on their cancer journey, to connect with others and to enable peer support and mutual learning.

The development of a cognitive rehabilitation and psycho-social group programme for teenage and young adult survivors of brain tumours: A feasibility study.

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: Treatment for childhood and adolescent brain tumours is often intensive, with significant neurocognitive and psycho-social late effects (Zeltzer et al., 2009). This feasibility Study aimed to inform the development of a cognitive rehabilitation and psycho-social group intervention for Teenage and Young Adult (TYA) survivors of brain tumours. METHODS: A group-based intervention incorporated ideas from the current evidence base, including psychoeducation and compensatory strategy training, with a focus on real-life goals and improving quality of life. Participants (N = 19, 13-24 years) were recruited from the University College London Hospital TYA Oncology Service. Participants had received treatment for a malignant brain tumour and had completed their treatment at least 1 year prior to participation. Four group-based, whole-day interventions ran every 3 months throughout a year. Feasibility criteria were established to answer questions about acceptability of the intervention and recruitment. RESULTS: Qualitative and quantitative feedback from all four groups demonstrated acceptability and suitability of the intervention with regards to the content, structure and delivery. Recruitment presented more of a challenge with 35% fewer referrals than expected. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Feedback suggests that the intervention is suitable and acceptable, whilst limitations include numbers of referrals and referral pathways. Future directions are discussed.

Keeping young people connected during COVID-19: the role of online groups.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on young people, disrupting education, routines, hobbies and peer interactions and there is concern for longer term effects on physical and mental health outcomes. Young people living with chronic health conditions face additional challenges including reduced or no face-to-face contact with medical teams, shielding and the increased stressors of being in 'at-risk' groups and social isolation. In a climate of social isolation and disconnectedness, online groups could provide a method of delivering healthcare and support that strengthens social connectedness and reduces isolation. Despite the technology being available, uptake and evidence for online groups is limited. This article shares learnings from a paediatric and adolescent psychology service delivering online groups for young people with chronic health conditions and their healthcare teams. Ideas for how to transfer group process to online platforms are considered, with examples and tips. With sufficient staffing, preparation, thought, creativity and innovation, it is possible for face-to-face groups to successfully be offered online. Caution should be exercised trying to run online groups without these provisions in place, as the safety, comfort and experience of young people could be jeopardised. Further research is needed to better understand group processes online and to consider what is lost and what is gained when comparing online to face-to-face groups.