Peer-reviewed article
Odyssée: protocol for a prospective cohort on psychiatric transition at age 17 in Nice, France.
Dumas LE, Marchini S, Fontas E, Ribeyron J, Metelkina-Fernandez V et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001Odyssée is a prospective cohort study tracking 17-year-old adolescents in Nice, France as they transition from child and adolescent mental health services to adult mental health services. The study aims to measure the prevalence of adolescents using child psychiatry services and follow 100 young people for 12 months to understand their clinical profiles, care pathways, transition readiness and whether they maintain continuity of care. The research will use validated mental health assessment tools and administrative hospital data to identify factors that help or hinder continuous care during this vulnerable period.
Key points
- Transition from child to adult mental health services is marked by care discontinuities and adverse clinical outcomes
- Primary objective is to determine annual prevalence of 17-year-olds in Nice attending child and adolescent psychiatry services
- Prospective cohort of 100 adolescents will be followed for 12 months with assessments at baseline, 6 months and 12 months
- Study uses validated instruments including MINI-S, WHOQOL-BREF, HoNOSCA, TRAM and TROM to measure outcomes
- Expected to provide one of the first city-level estimates of psychiatric transition needs in France
Limitations
This is a protocol paper describing a study in progress (recruitment started April 2026, completion anticipated September 2028), so no results or findings from the actual study are available yet. The monocentric design limited to one hospital in Nice may limit generalisability to other regions of France.
Abstract
Introduction The transition from child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) to adult mental health services (AMHS) represents a critical period of vulnerability, often marked by care discontinuities and adverse clinical outcomes. International studies have highlighted the risks associated with this transition, but local epidemiological data remain scarce in France. The Odyssée study aims to provide local data to inform the development of structured transition pathways. Methods and analysis This prospective monocentric cohort study will be conducted at Lenval University Children's Hospital in Nice, the only paediatric hospital providing dedicated child psychiatry emergency services in the Alpes-Maritimes department. Recruitment started in April 2026 and is ongoing at the time of manuscript submission. Study completion is anticipated in September 2028. The primary objective is to determine the annual prevalence of 17-year-olds living in Nice who attend child and adolescent psychiatry services using administrative data combining census counts from the French National Institute of Statistics and Economy Studies and hospital discharge records (Programme de médicalisation des systèmes d'information (PMSI)).In parallel, a prospective cohort of 100 adolescents aged 17 years will be followed for 12 months to address secondary objectives, including clinical profiles, care trajectories, transition readiness, clinical outcomes and determinants of care continuity. Assessments will be conducted at baseline, 6 months and 12 months using validated instruments (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview-simplified (MINI-S), WHO Quality of Life-brief (WHOQOL-BREF), Health of the Nation Outcome Scales for Children and Adolescents (HoNOSCA), Transition Readiness and Appropriateness Measure (TRAM), Transition Related Outcome Measure (TROM)). Descriptive and multivariable analyses will be performed to identify factors associated with continuity of care. This study is expected to provide one of the first city-level estimates of psychiatric transition needs in France and contribute to the international literature on continuity of care, youth mental health trajectories and transitional service organisation. Ethics and dissemination The study has been approved by the Comité de Protection des Personnes Sud-Ouest et Outre-Mer IV (approval number 2025-A01581-48). Written informed consent will be obtained from participants and one parent or legal guardian. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, scientific conferences and reports to regional health authorities. Trial registration number NCT07068945.