National recognition for Trust’s pioneering child mental health research
Researchers from the Trust have been recognised in the prestigious 2026 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health (ACAMH) Awards. The annual awards celebrate excellence in child and adolescent mental health research, practice and innovation
The ‘STADIA’ study team won the Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry (JCPP) Best Paper Award 2026 for their paper reporting on the STADIA multi-site randomised controlled trial.
The paper, The clinical and cost effectiveness of a STAndardised DIagnostic Assessment for children and adolescents with emotional difficulties: the STADIA multi-centre randomised controlled trial, was led by Professor Kapil Sayal (pictured), Professor of and Honorary Consultant in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, at the Trust, and colleagues from across the UK. This large-scale study, involving over 1200 families, was led by Nottinghamshire Healthcare and carried out in partnership with the University of Nottingham and partner NHS Trusts around the country. Additional support was also provided by the Institute of Mental Health.
The study examined the clinical and cost effectiveness of a standardised diagnostic assessment approach for children and young people with emotional difficulties referred to CAMHS. Its win reflects the importance of robust, practice-focused research focusing on mental health care pathways and service provision.
The judging panel commented “It highlights the importance of well-designed trials in informing and optimising clinical care.”
The study highlighted the challenges around accessing help, recognition of difficulties and the receipt of diagnoses from mental health services, impacting care and outcomes for children and young people. The STADIA study findings have been cited in two influential Government policy documents published this year - the DHSC/Fonagy “Independent Review of prevalence and support for mental health conditions, ADHD and autism” which highlighted the urgent need for reform of current care pathways, and in Alan Milburn’s Government report on “Young People and Work”
Professor Sayal said: “We are honoured and delighted that the paper has been recognised as best Paper of the Year by ACAMH - very well done to the whole ‘STADIA’ team! And, in particular, a huge thank you to all the children, young people and parents who took part, and all our colleagues at the study sites, who made this all possible.
“STADIA has been an amazing and highly informative muti-site trial set in real-world CAMHS, and highlights the importance of Trust patients and carers being given the opportunity to participate in research. The findings have resulted in considerable debate about current care models and are informing future service frameworks”
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