Exploring relationships: facilitators’ views on delivering Interpersonal Psychotherapy – Adolescent Skills Training in secondary schools as a preventative group intervention for adolescent mental health

IPT-AST groups are specialised, community-based interventions designed to support Young People (YP) who are identified as experiencing or being at a higher risk of mental health (MH) challenges. The intervention groups are facilitated by two trained professionals and offer a secure, manualised, and highly structured setting that aims to support the social and emotional development of YP. Previous research has mainly focused on the outcomes for YP participating in IPT-AST groups. This study seeks to explore and describe the facilitator-YP relationship in a group intervention setting. IPT-AST group facilitators were interviewed on their perceptions and understanding of their relationships with the YP in their groups. The aim was to discover the elements that constitute a therapeutic relationship and to identify the challenges that may hinder the relationship and the YP’s progress. The study was conducted from a symbolic interactionist and critical realist perspective, employing a grounded theory methodology. Interviews were conducted with six IPT-AST group facilitators from seven groups. The findings describe a model that depicts how relationships develop between the facilitator and the YP. As the facilitator and YP develop a greater understanding of each other, the facilitator becomes more responsive to the YP’s needs and feelings, thus providing a supportive backdrop for imparting the IPT-AST strategies. This journey is not without its challenges, which can affect the emotional response of the facilitator, who is also supported in supervision and by a network of facilitators. These challenges, however, are crucial in the evolution of the relationship, fostering trust and a stronger connection.The discussion delves into these findings with reference to psychodynamic and interpersonal theories, and considers the implications for IPT-AST facilitators, stakeholders, services, and Child and Educational Psychologists (EPs).