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Contact the study team using the details below to take part. If there are no contact details below please ask your doctor in the first instance.

Contact Information:

Prof Cathy Creswell
+44 (0)1865 271444
cathy.creswell@psych.ox.ac.uk


More information about this study, what is involved and how to take part can be found on the study website.

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Be Part of Research - Trial Details - SupporTing pARents and their autistic Children through Anxiety Treatment (STAR-CAT)
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SupporTing pARents and their autistic Children through Anxiety Treatment (STAR-CAT)

Recruiting

Open to: All Genders

Age: Child

Southampton Manchester Dundee Norwich Sunderland Belfast London Gloucester Leicester Prescot Carlisle Newbury Darlington Southall Plymouth Chester Neath Hull Liverpool Southampton

Medical Conditions

Anxiety problems in autistic children aged 5-12

This information is provided directly by researchers, and we recognise that it isn't always easy to understand. We are working with researchers to improve the accessibility of this information. In some summaries, you may come across links to external websites. These websites will have more information to help you better understand the study.


An online, parent-led, therapist-support intervention called OSI (Online Support and Intervention for child anxiety) was previously co-designed. Previous research has found OSI to be clinically effective, cost-effective and acceptable to clinicians and families. OSI has now been adapted to meet the needs of autistic children with anxiety problems and their families. This adapted version of OSI is called OSI-A. The STAR-CAT study will test whether OSI-A can make treatment for anxiety problems among autistic children more accessible without compromising children’s outcomes.

Start dates may differ between countries and research sites. The research team are responsible for keeping the information up-to-date.  

The recruitment start and end dates are as follows:

06 Jan 2025 31 Mar 2027

The study involves being randomly allocated to either OSI-A or Treatment as Usual (TAU) after completing questionnaires at the time of enrollment. These questionnaires will be repeated at 24 weeks and 48 weeks post-randomisation. Please note that if the child does not have an autism diagnosis, they will need to complete 'consent to screen' and a questionnaire before enrolment to check eligibility for the STAR-CAT study.


Children aged 5-12 years old, with either diagnosed autism or suspected autism, about to receive treatment for anxiety problems

You can take part if:



You may not be able to take part if:


Child 1. Has co-morbid conditions that mean therapeutic strategies are clinically inappropriate (diagnosed profound or severe intellectual disability, suicidal intent/ recurrent or potentially life-limiting self-harm),2. Is identified by social services due to child protection concerns.

Parent/carer 1. Has been diagnosed with a profound or severe intellectual disability or severe mental health problem that is likely to interfere with treatment delivery.

TherapistThere are no exclusion criteria for Therapists.


Below are the locations for where you can take part in the trial. Please note that not all sites may be open.

  • Solent NHS Trust
    Solent NHS Trust Headquarters Highpoint Venue Bursledon Road
    Southampton
    SO19 8BR
  • Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
    Cobbett House Oxford Road
    Manchester
    M13 9WL
  • Ninewells Hospital
    Ninewells Avenue
    Dundee
    DD1 9SY
  • Hellesdon Hospital
    Drayton High Road
    Norwich
    NR6 5BE
  • Sunderland Royal Hospital
    Kayll Road
    Sunderland
    SR4 7TP
  • Belfast City Hospital
    51 Lisburn Rd
    Belfast
    BT9 7AB
  • The Whittington Hospital
    Highgate Hill
    London
    N19 5NF
  • Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust
    Edward Jenner Court 1010 Pioneer Avenue Gloucester Business Park
    Gloucester
    GL3 4AW
  • Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust
    Riverside House Bridge Park Plaza Bridge Park Road
    Leicester
    LE4 8PQ
  • Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust
    V7 Building Kings Business Park Kings Drive
    Prescot
    L34 1PJ
  • Barnardos North Cumbria MHST
    North Cumbria Mental Health Support Team Suite 2, Riverside House, Warwick Road
    Carlisle
    CA1 2BS
  • West Berkshire Council
    Council Offices Market Street
    Newbury
    RG14 5LD
  • Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust
    Trust Headquarters West Park Hospital Edward Pease Way
    Darlington
    DL2 2TS
  • West London NHS Trust
    1 Armstrong Way
    Southall
    UB2 4SD
  • Derriford Hospital
    University Hospitals Plymouth Nhs Trust Derriford Road, Derriford
    Plymouth
    PL6 8DH
  • Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
    Trust Headquarters, Redesmere the Countess of Chester Health Park Liverpool Road
    Chester
    CH2 1BQ
  • Tonna Hospital
    Tonna Uchaf Tonna
    Neath
    SA11 3LX
  • Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust
    Trust Hq, Block A, Willerby Hill Beverley Road Willerby
    Hull
    HU10 6FE
  • Alder Hey Hospital
    Eaton Road West Derby
    Liverpool
    L12 2AP
  • NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board
    Tremona Road
    Southampton
    SO16 6YD

Benefit:
Children taking part in this study will all receive treatment. Those in the OSI-A arm will receive treatment from therapists who will have received training from experts in child anxiety treatments (via an e-learning platform) and will have access to a novel, online intervention that may bring efficiencies for families.
Time burden: Participants will be required to complete more measures than they would in usual clinical practice. Families will receive £10 for each completed follow-up questionnaire to compensate for the extra time spent on research-related questionnaires within this trial.
Novel treatment delivery: Families in the OSI-A arm of the trial will receive an adapted version of an established online treatment but the online version has not yet been systematically evaluated. As such we cannot be sure what the outcome will be.
Audio recordings: Audio recordings will be made during qualitative interviews and some participants may feel cautious about this.

Prof Cathy Creswell
+44 (0)1865 271444
cathy.creswell@psych.ox.ac.uk



More information about this study, what is involved and how to take part can be found on the study website.


The study is sponsored by University of Oxford and funded by National Institute for Health and Care Research.



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Read full details for Trial ID: ISRCTN57543210

Or CPMS 65706

Last updated 17 January 2025

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