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. 2025 Aug;59(8):740-753.
doi: 10.1177/00048674251345318. Epub 2025 Jun 24.

Setting Australian research priorities for child mental health clinical trials: A Delphi study

Ellie Tsiamis  1 , Anthony Jorm  1 , Lakshmi Neelakantan  1 , Amy Morgan  1
Affiliations

Setting Australian research priorities for child mental health clinical trials: A Delphi study

Ellie Tsiamis et al. Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2025 Aug.

Abstract

Objective: To identify Australian research priorities for clinical trials in child mental health (0-12 years).

Methods: A Delphi consensus study across three rounds was carried out with child mental health professional and lived experience experts. Potential research priorities for rating by the experts were identified from a rapid review; content analysis of government strategies and targeted calls for research; and panellists' suggestions. The highest rated priorities were then reduced to a smaller number of top priorities using a resource allocation exercise.

Results: A total of 391 potential priorities were rated by 66 panellists. Panellists endorsed 75 priorities for trials covering a range of mental health interventions (promotion, prevention, assessment, and treatment), as well as overarching priorities applicable to all types of trials. The final resource allocation exercise refined these further to 12 top research priorities, including two promotion trial priorities, seven prevention and assessment trial priorities, and four treatment trial priorities.

Conclusion: Results will aid the Growing Minds Australia Clinical Trials Network's review, prioritisation, and endorsement of future clinical trials in child mental health. The findings can also be used to inform key stakeholders in child mental health on where clinical trial research efforts have focused in the past and what should be considered a priority in the future.

Keywords: Child; Delphi; clinical trial; mental health; research priorities.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship and/or publication of this article: A.J. and A.M. conduct clinical trials research related to child mental health. E.T. and L.N. declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Criteria for analysing data for endorsement, re-rating or rejection.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Summary of item ratings and Delphi Rounds 1−3 results.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Summary of what informed participant ratings in the Delphi study.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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