scholarly journals Adolescents’ perceived barriers and facilitators to seeking and accessing professional help for anxiety and depressive disorders: a qualitative interview study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerica Radez ◽  
Tessa Reardon ◽  
Cathy Creswell ◽  
Faith Orchard ◽  
Polly Waite
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young People ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Depressive Disorders ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Perceived Barriers ◽  
Barriers And Facilitators ◽  
Social Evaluation ◽  
Professional Help ◽  
Qualitative Interview Study

AbstractAnxiety and depressive disorders are the most common mental health disorders in adolescents, yet only a minority of young people with these disorders access professional help. This study aims to address this treatment gap by improving our understanding of barriers and facilitators to seeking/accessing professional help as perceived by adolescents with anxiety/depressive disorders identified in the community. Twenty-two adolescents, aged 11–17 years, who met diagnostic criteria for a current anxiety and/or depressive disorder were identified through school-based screening. In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted one-to-one with each adolescent and adolescents’ parents were interviewed separately for the purpose of data triangulation. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. We identified four themes capturing adolescent perceived barriers and facilitators to seeking/accessing professional help for anxiety and depressive disorders: (1) making sense of difficulties, (2) problem disclosure, (3) ambivalence to seeking help, and (4) the instrumental role of others. Barriers/facilitators identified within each theme reflect important developmental characteristics of adolescence, such as a growing need for autonomy and concerns around negative social evaluation. At the same time, the results highlight adolescents’ dependency on other people, mainly their parents and school staff, when it comes to successfully accessing professional help for their mental health difficulties. This study identifies a number of barriers/facilitators that influence help-seeking behaviour of adolescents with anxiety and/or depressive disorders. These factors need to be addressed when targeting treatment utilisation rates in this particular group of young people.

scholarly journals Mental health of young Brazilians: Barriers to professional help-seeking

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 355-365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cláudia Cristina FUKUDA ◽  
Maria Aparecida PENSO ◽  
Deise Matos do AMPARO ◽  
Bruno Coimbras de ALMEIDA ◽  
Camila de Aquino MORAIS
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young People ◽  
Private School ◽  
Mental Health Treatment ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Structural Barriers ◽  
Professional Help ◽  
Health Treatment ◽  
Major Barrier ◽  
Positive Effects

The present study investigated the perception of young Brazilians of professional help and barriers to seeking mental health services. A total of the 1,030 questionnaires were administered to young people aged 8-21 years of both genders attending public and private school or who had received or were receiving treatement at mental health facilities in three Brazilian cities. The data were evaluated using descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, and comparison between means. The results showed fear of stigmatization as a major barrier to seeking mental health treatment, exerting greater impact than that of structural barriers. Regional differences influenced their perception of the treatment. Having undergone previous mental health treatment was found to be related to a greater perception of the positive effects of the treatment and the structural barriers to accessing care services. It was found that the onset of mental disorders usually occurs during early adolescence. School-related issues, anxiety, fear, and depression were the most common reasons for mental health treatment seeking among young people.

scholarly journals Help-seeking behaviour in men and women with common mental health problems: cross-sectional study

2005 ◽  
Vol 186 (4) ◽  
pp. 297-301 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Isabel Oliver ◽  
Nicky Pearson ◽  
Nicola Coe ◽  
David Gunnell
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young People ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
General Health Questionnaire ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Professional Help ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Help Seeking Behaviour

BackgroundMany people with mental health problems do not seek professional help but their use of other sources of help is unclear.AimsTo investigate patterns of lay and professional help-seeking in men and women aged 16–64 years in relation to severity of symptoms and sociodemographic variables.MethodPostal questionnaire survey, including the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ–12), sent to a stratified random sample (n=15222) of the population of Somerset.ResultsThe response rate was 76%. Only 28% of people with extremely high GHQ–12 scores (⩾8) had sought help from their general practitioner but most (78%) had sought some form of help. Males, young people and people living in affluent areas were the least likely to seek help.ConclusionsHealth promotion interventions to encourage appropriate help-seeking behaviour in young people, particularly in men, may lead to improvements in the mental health of this group of the population.

scholarly journals Understanding mental health help-seeking preferences of Chinese young overseas students, and their perceived barriers and facilitators to seek help

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-223
Author(s):  
Fengjiao Liu
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Negative Attitude ◽  
Perceived Barriers ◽  
Barriers And Facilitators ◽  
Easy Access ◽  
Overseas Students ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Mental Health Support ◽  
Seeking Help

Aim. The research explores the mental health help-seeking preferences of Chinese young overseas students (CYOS) as well as their perceived barriers and facilitators to seek help. Methods. Eight Chinese young overseas students who are currently studying in the US were interviewed, and a thematic analysis was undertaken on their responses. Conclusions. Five barriers and six facilitators were identified. Young overseas students considered perceiving the problems as not serious, negative attitude toward help seeking, being not willing to burden somebody else, lack of understanding of the process of mental health support, and issues of confidentiality and trust as the most important barriers to help seeking. Facilitators include positive attitudes towards help seeking, positive relationship with help providers, perceiving the problem as serious, easy access, confidentiality and trust, and previous habit of seeking help. Research restrictions. The samples are relatively homogeneous and could not represent all CYOS and thus lacked generalizability. Only interviews were applied for data collection, which has an impact on the credibility and trustworthiness of the research. Practical application. Strategies for improving help-seeking should focus on improving mental health literacy of these young people, their peers and parents, building positive relationships with help providers, and cultivating good help-seeking habits before they go abroad.

Mental health literacy among Arab university students in Israel: A qualitative study

2021 ◽  
pp. 002076402110361
Author(s):  
Anwar Khatib ◽  
Fareeda Abo-Rass
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Low Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Mental Health Literacy ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Arab Population ◽  
Professional Help ◽  
Arab Students

Background: There has been a noticeable increase in the number of studies concerned with mental health literacy (MHL), specifically among students. Still, very few studies have examined MHL among students of non-Western minority groups. Aims: This study examined MHL among Arab students in Israel based on Jorm’s conceptual framework. Methods: Twenty-eight Arab students in Israel took part in semi-structured, in-depth interviews. Most were single and Muslim, in their second year of studies, and most reported low socioeconomic status. The data were analyzed thematically, guided by the Jorm’s six MHL dimensions. Results: Different levels of literacy were found in the various MHL dimensions. The participants identified severe mental disorders more easily than mood disorders; reported a variety of possible causes of mental disorders; were well aware of available professional help (apart for rehabilitative services); identified significant barriers to mental health help seeking, as Arabs; and reported the internet as a major source of information about mental health problems and their treatment Conclusions: The participants’ MHL appeared to be associated with their unique sociocultural characteristics. This study stresses the need to raise MHL among Arab students in Israel, and in particular to promote positive attitudes to seeking professional help. It also highlights the need to develop culturally adapted mental health interventions for the Arab population in Israel.

scholarly journals Treating sleep problems in young people at ultra-high-risk of psychosis: study protocol for a single-blind parallel group randomised controlled feasibility trial (SleepWell)

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. e045235
Author(s):  
Felicity Waite ◽  
Thomas Kabir ◽  
Louise Johns ◽  
Jill Mollison ◽  
Apostolos Tsiachristas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Young People ◽  
Sleep Problems ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Feasibility Trial ◽  
Psychotic Experiences ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Ultra High Risk ◽  
Randomised Controlled

BackgroundEffective interventions, targeting key contributory causal factors, are needed to prevent the emergence of severe mental health problems in young people. Insomnia is a common clinical issue that is problematic in its own right but that also leads to the development and persistence of psychotic experiences. The implication is that treating sleep problems may prevent the onset of psychosis. We collected initial case series data with 12 young people at ultra-high-risk of psychosis. Post-intervention, there were improvements in sleep, depression and psychotic experiences. Now we test the feasibility of a randomised controlled trial, with a clinical aim to treat sleep problems and hence reduce depression, psychotic experiences, and prevent transition to psychosis.Methods and analysisA randomised controlled feasibility trial will be conducted. Forty patients aged 14 to 25 years who are at ultra-high-risk of psychosis and have sleep disturbance will be recruited from National Health Service (NHS) mental health services. Participants will be randomised to receive either a novel, targeted, youth-focussed sleep intervention in addition to usual care or usual care alone. Assessor-blinded assessments will be conducted at baseline, 3 months (post-intervention) and 9 months (follow-up). The eight-session psychological intervention will target the key mechanisms which disrupt sleep: circadian rhythm irregularities, low sleep pressure, and hyperarousal. To gain an in-depth understanding of participants’ views on the acceptability of the intervention and study procedures, 16 participants (n=10 intervention, n=6 control) will take part in qualitative interviews. Analyses will focus on feasibility outcomes (recruitment, retention, and treatment uptake rates) and provide initial CI estimates of intervention effects. Thematic analysis of the qualitative interviews will assess the acceptability of the intervention and trial procedures.Ethics and disseminationThe trial has received ethical approval from the NHS Health Research Authority. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, and lay networks.Trial registration numberISRCTN85601537.

scholarly journals “Smartphone Apps Are Cool, but Do They Help Me?”: A Qualitative Interview Study of Adolescents’ Perspectives on Using Smartphone Interventions to Manage Nonsuicidal Self-Injury

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 3289
Author(s):  
Anja Čuš ◽  
Julian Edbrooke-Childs ◽  
Susanne Ohmann ◽  
Paul L. Plener ◽  
Türkan Akkaya-Kalayci
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young People ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Self Injury ◽  
Qualitative Interview Study ◽  
Mental Health Interventions ◽  
Nonsuicidal Self Injury

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a major mental health problem associated with negative psychosocial outcomes and it most often starts in early adolescence. Despite this, adolescents are rarely involved in informing the development of interventions designed to address their mental health problems. This study aimed to (1) assess adolescents’ needs and preferences about future interventions that are delivered through smartphones and (2) develop a framework with implications for designing engaging digital mental health interventions. Fifteen adolescent girls, aged 12–18 years, who met diagnostic criteria for a current NSSI disorder and were in contact with mental health services, participated in semi-structured interviews. Following a reflexive thematic analysis approach, this study identified two main themes: (1) Experiences of NSSI (depicts the needs of young people related to their everyday experiences of managing NSSI) and (2) App in Context (portrays preferences of young people about smartphone interventions and reflects adolescents’ views on how technology itself can improve or hinder engaging with these interventions). Adolescent patients expressed interest in using smartphone mental health interventions if they recognize them as helpful, relevant for their life situation and easy to use. The developed framework suggests that digital mental health interventions are embedded in three contexts (i.e., person using the intervention, mental health condition, and technology-related factors) which together need to inform the development of engaging digital resources. To achieve this, the cooperation among people with lived experience, mental health experts, and human computer interaction professionals is vital.

The Association Between Problem Recognition, Race/Ethnicity, and Professional Help-Seeking Intentions Across Psychological Disorders

2021 ◽  
pp. 216769682110004
Author(s):  
Ayanda Chakawa ◽  
Steven K. Shapiro
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
The United States ◽  
Psychological Disorder ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Problem Recognition ◽  
Professional Help ◽  
Race Ethnicity

While 75% mental health problems emerge by young adulthood, there is a strong reluctance during this developmental stage to seek professional help. Although limitations in mental health literacy, such as incorrect problem recognition, may hinder professional help-seeking intentions, the relationship between these variables has been understudied among young adults in the United States (U.S.) and racial/ethnic differences in help-seeking intentions for specific disorders have not been well explored. Using a vignette-based design, the current study examines the association between psychological disorder recognition and professional help-seeking intentions among 1,585 Black/African American and White/European American young adults. Correctly identifying a psychological disorder was significantly associated with intentions to seek professional help for several disorders and race/ethnicity significantly influenced intentions to seek professional help for some disorders. Implications for ways to address unmet mental health care needs, especially among racially/ethnically diverse young adults, and directions for future research are discussed.

scholarly journals Shame, perceived knowledge and satisfaction associated with mental health as predictors of attitude patterns towards help-seeking

2013 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 177-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Rüsch ◽  
M. Müller ◽  
V. Ajdacic-Gross ◽  
S. Rodgers ◽  
P.W. Corrigan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Latent Profile Analysis ◽  
Service Use ◽  
Psychiatric Symptoms ◽  
Mental Health Service Use ◽  
Psychiatric Medication ◽  
Perceived Knowledge ◽  
Professional Help

Aims.To examine stigma- and knowledge-related barriers to help-seeking among members of the general population.Methods.In a representative survey of young to middle-aged Swiss adults (n = 8875), shame about a potential own mental illness, perceived knowledge about and satisfaction with one's mental health, psychiatric symptoms and attitudes towards help-seeking were assessed.Results.A latent profile analysis of all participants yielded two groups with different attitudes towards help-seeking. Relative to the majority, a one-in-four subgroup endorsed more negative attitudes towards seeking professional help, including psychiatric medication, and was characterized by more shame, less perceived knowledge, higher satisfaction with their mental health, younger age, male gender and lower education. Among participants with high symptom levels (n = 855), a third subgroup was reluctant to seek help in their private environment and characterized by high symptoms as well as low satisfaction with their mental health.Conclusions.Shame as an emotional proxy of self-stigma as well as poor subjective mental health literacy may be independent barriers to help-seeking. Interventions to increase mental health service use could focus on both variables and on those individuals with more negative views about professional help, in the general public as well as among people with a current mental illness.

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