Using Mentalization Based Therapy to Support Children and Adolescents Referred to Specialist Mental Health Services in the NHS for Aggressive and/or Violent Behaviour

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria:
* Age 10-17 years at the time of referral;
* Aggression and/or violence are indicated at referral or assessment;
* Participation in the evaluation would not interfere with statutory orders;
* Child and parent/carer (for children 10-15 years) are able to consent and engage with the study materials;
* Living in the community at time of referral and no imminent plans to move to hospital, residential, or secure settings.
Additional inclusion criteria for participants recruited from a clinician's existing caseload:
* There has been no direct contact between child and FCAMHS clinicians, including assessments.
* There has been no indirect therapeutic support provided by FCAMHS e.g. advising non-FCAMHS professionals on therapeutic support.
* It is permissible for the clinician to have previously engaged in consultation activities where these did not involve contact with the child.
Exclusion Criteria:
* Age under 10 or age 18 or older at the time of referral;
* No evidence of aggression and/or violence indicated at referral or assessment;
* FCAMHS are only offering a one-off consultation or assessment (e.g., the network around the child requires support to manage risk but additional input is not required);
* Child's level of English is not sufficient to engage in the intervention;
* Child and/or parents/carers refuse to engage with FCAMHS;
* No statutory service is involved in supporting the child;
* No statutory service will agree to hold the child's case open for a minimum of six months.
* Currently involved in another psychological intervention research study.

The sponsor's own eligibility wording, lightly reformatted. The study team makes the final eligibility decision — worth discussing with your doctor.

Eligibility criteria as of 2026-05-08