YoMeta: A study investigating if metacognitive therapy for children and adolescents with a common mental health disorder is feasible and acceptable to deliver in child and adolescent mental health services

INTERVENTION: Participants are randomised to the intervention or control condition. The intervention group will receive six weekly sessions of group‐based MCT (with two additional booster session). Group‐MCT will be delivered by two trained mental health professionals (i.e. clinical psychologist and high‐intensity therapist). Sessions will last approximately 90 minutes. Group MCT will be guided by a treatment manual to maximise treatment adherence and fidelity. Group MCT aims to help participants develop knowledge that can facilitate control of worry, repetitive negative thinking and attention, and to modify the metacognitive beliefs that maintain unhelpful thinking patterns Control Condition: Treatment as usual (TAU) consist of cognitive behavioural therapies (CBT: behavioural activation, exposure, EMDR, cognitive therapy) and family therapy delivered on a one‐to‐one or group basis. Participants normally receive up to 12 sessions of TAU. QUANTITATIVE ASSESSMENTS Participants will complete quantitative assessments at four time‐points: baseline, 20 weeks (end of treatment), 32 weeks (follow up) and 44 weeks (follow up). At the four time‐points participants will be asked to complete the following questionnaires: •Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale‐ Short Version •Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) •Metacognition Questionnaire‐Adolescent version (MCQ‐A) •Demographic information – including child’s age, sex, school, ethnicity, medication, socioeconomic status, parental occupational status. This will be completed by parents/primary caregivers. •Child Health Utility‐9D (CHU‐9D) •EQ‐5D‐Y CONDITION: Anxiety, depression, or both ; Mental and Behavioural Disorders PRIMARY OUTCOME: ; 1. The Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale‐ Short Version is being measured at baseline, 20 weeks (end of treatment), 32 weeks (follow up) and 44 weeks (follow up).; 2. Feasibility will be assessed using referral rates, recruitment and retention rates, participant attendance at sessions, their follow up and questionnaire response rates, and willingness to be randomized to treatment; INCLUSION CRITERIA: 1. Aged between 11‐16 years 2. Consent given 3. Native fluency in English language 4. Seeking treatment for emotional disorder symptoms (i.e. generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, agoraphobia, post‐traumatic stress disorder, obsessive‐compulsive disorder, social anxiety, and/or depression) 5. Medication for mental health problems permitted but participants must be stabilised for 6 weeks SECONDARY OUTCOME: ; 1. Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is being measured at baseline, 20 weeks (end of treatment), 32 weeks (follow up) and 44 weeks (follow up).; 2. Metacognition Questionnaire‐Adolescent version (MCQ‐A) is being measured at baseline, 20 weeks (end of treatment), 32 weeks (follow up) and 44 weeks (follow up).; 3. Child Health Utility‐9D (CHU‐9D) is being measured at baseline, 20 weeks (end of treatment), 32 weeks (follow up) and 44 weeks (follow up).; 4. EQ‐5D‐Y is being measured at baseline, 20 weeks (end of treatment), 32 weeks (follow up) and 44 weeks (follow up).; 5. Health Care Service Use Interview Version is being measured at baseline, 20 weeks (end of treatment), 32 weeks (follow up) and 44 weeks (follow up).;