Creating a fun and engaging storybook to help children more effectively manage their emotions
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN13142918 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN13142918 |
| Protocol serial number | N/A |
| Sponsor | King's College London |
| Funder | British Academy |
- Submission date
- 22/05/2018
- Registration date
- 23/05/2018
- Last edited
- 05/07/2021
- Recruitment status
- No longer recruiting
- Overall study status
- Completed
- Condition category
- Mental and Behavioural Disorders
Plain English summary of protocol
Background and study aims
Autobiographical memory shapes our self-identity, self-esteem and wellbeing. Conversely, ‘memory biases’, the tendency to retrieve negative over positive memories from the past and future, and ‘over-general memories’, the difficulty recalling memories of specific events, are linked with poor mental health. As these memory styles increase risk for later mental health difficulties, they could be a potential target for interventions promoting wellbeing. The aim of this study is to investigate whether a storybook intervention co-produced by research and clinical scientists, a children’s artist, and children aged 6-9 years old (and their parents), can teach children (and their parents/guardians) more ‘helpful’ memory styles.
Who can participate?
Children aged 6-9 years
What does the study involve?
Participants are randomly allocated to one of two groups, who receive either the intervention or control storybook. Both storybooks contain the same pictures and format and consist of a story, rationale and six exercises to be completed over a period of 3 weeks. Through a story about a central character, the intervention storybook includes information on how maladaptive responses to negative memories (such as avoidance) are unhelpful and suggests alternative positive responses (such as building detailed memories). It also provides information on building detailed positive future images. The text of the control storybook differs so that content on memory processes is not included. Feedback is solicited from children and parents/guardians.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
It is not yet certain whether taking part will be of benefit to participants, but they will help to work out how best to support children, parents and teachers. There are no known risks for taking part in this study, but it is possible that talking about events in the past may make a child feel sad, and there will always be someone available for them to talk to and who can help.
Where is the study run from?
King's College London (UK)
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
June 2017 to December 2020
Who is funding the study?
British Academy (UK)
Who is the main contact?
Dr Victoria Pile
victoria.pile@kcl.ac.uk
Contact information
Public
Department of Psychology
Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience
King's College London
Denmark Hill
London
SE5 8AF
United Kingdom
 ORCID ID |
0000-0002-9177-2844 |
|---|---|
| Phone | +44 (0)20 7848 0389 |
| victoria.pile@kcl.ac.uk |
Study information
| Primary study design | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Study design | Interventional feasibility randomised controlled trial |
| Secondary study design | Randomised controlled trial |
| Study type | Participant information sheet |
| Scientific title | Improving cognitive health and wellbeing in children: increasing the specificity of future positive memories and past negative memories using storybook narratives and character illustrations |
| Study objectives | The aim of this study is to investigate the acceptability, feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of a storybook intervention targetting memory processes in children. |
| Ethics approval(s) | Psychiatry, Nursing and Midwifery Research Ethics Subcommittee of the College Research Ethics Committee (CREC) at King's College London, 23/05/2018, ref: HR-16/17-4115 |
| Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied | Depression and anxiety |
| Intervention | Children will be randomly allocated to receive the storybook ("My Memory Forest") or control intervention. Both will contain the same pictures and format. Both the storybooks will consist of a story, rationale and 6 exercises to be completed over a period of three weeks. Through a story about a central character, "My Memory Forest" includes information on how maladaptive responses to negative memories (such as avoidance) are unhelpful and suggests alternative positive responses (such as building detailed memories). It also provides information on building detailed positive future images. The text of the control book will differ so that content on memory processes is not included. |
| Intervention type | Other |
| Primary outcome measure(s) |
Feasibility and acceptability of the intervention are assessed by recording numbers of eligible participants, recruitment rate, retention rate, outcome measure completion rate, data completeness, data on adherence/compliance, and feedback questionnaires |
| Key secondary outcome measure(s) |
All measures are administered pre and post intervention unless otherwise stated |
| Completion date | 31/12/2020 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | All |
|---|---|
| Age group | Child |
| Lower age limit | 6 Years |
| Upper age limit | 9 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Target sample size at registration | 56 |
| Key inclusion criteria | Children aged 6-9 years |
| Key exclusion criteria | 1. Child/caregiver has insufficient English language ability to complete the questionnaire measures and intervention 2. Child has severe learning disability or sensory impairment |
| Date of first enrolment | 30/05/2018 |
| Date of final enrolment | 05/06/2020 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- United Kingdom
- England
Study participating centre
London
SE5 8AF
United Kingdom
Results and Publications
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | No |
|---|---|
| IPD sharing plan summary | |
| IPD sharing plan | It is planned to make individual participant data available on publication of the associated study results, via a publicly-available data repository such as Open Science Framework. Data made available will be the research data reported in the publication, with the exception of any data that could compromise participant anonymity. |
Study outputs
| Output type | Details | Date created | Date added | Peer reviewed? | Patient-facing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results article | feasibility results | 24/06/2021 | 05/07/2021 | Yes | No |
| Participant information sheet | Participant information sheet | 11/11/2025 | 11/11/2025 | No | Yes |
Editorial Notes
05/07/2021: Publication reference added.
