Youth services: meeting the mental health needs of adolescents

2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. S. Vyas ◽  
M. Birchwood ◽  
S. P. Singh
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Early Intervention ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Youth Mental Health ◽  
Youth Services ◽  
Early Intervention Services ◽  
Youth Service ◽  
Risk Period ◽  
Traditional Service

ObjectivesYouth mental health services are poised for a paradigm shift. Recent epidemiological evidence confirms the seriousness of adolescence as a risk period for mental ill-health - 50% of all adult mental disorders begin before the age of 16% and 75% before the age of 25. Here, we identify issues with transition of care between CAMHS-AMHS service, and effectiveness of early intervention services.MethodsWe provide a selective review providing evidence of adolescence as a risk period, discuss CAMHS-AMHS service transition problems, and discuss avenues for change to implement the early intervention model across youth mental health.ResultsTraditional service structures,with paediatric -adult split at 16–18 years increasingly appear not fit for purpose. A radical redesign of youth mental health services is not only necessary, it is also feasible and achievable, as illustrated by a pilot Birmingham youth service – Youthspace.ConclusionsPilot youth mental projects currently underway can help radically redesign the existing child and adolescent services. This will in turn lead to an improvement in the young people's experience of engagement with the services so that they too have a positive future.

scholarly journals Perspectives of Family Members on Using Technology in Youth Mental Health Care: A Qualitative Study

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. e21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shalini Lal ◽  
Winnie Daniel ◽  
Lysanne Rivard
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Early Intervention ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Youth Mental Health ◽  
Use Of Technology

Background Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are increasingly recognized as having an important role in the delivery of mental health services for youth. Recent studies have evaluated young people’s access and use of technology, as well as their perspectives on using technology to receive mental health information, services, and support; however, limited attention has been given to the perspectives of family members in this regard. Objective The aim of this study was to explore the perspectives of family members on the use of ICTs to deliver mental health services to youth within the context of specialized early intervention for a first-episode psychosis (FEP). Methods Six focus groups were conducted with family members recruited from an early intervention program for psychosis. Twelve family members participated in the study (target sample was 12-18, and recruitment efforts took place over the duration of 1 year). A 12-item semistructured focus group guide was developed to explore past experiences of technology and recommendations for the use of technology in youth mental health service delivery. A qualitative thematic analysis guided the identification and organization of common themes and patterns identified across the dataset. Results Findings were organized by the following themes: access and use of technology, potential negative impacts of technology on youth in recovery, potential benefits of using technology to deliver mental health services to youth, and recommendations to use technology for (1) providing quality information in a manner that is accessible to individuals of diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, (2) facilitating communication with health care professionals and services, and (3) increasing access to peer support. Conclusions To our knowledge, this is among the first (or the first) to explore the perspectives of family members of youth being treated for FEP on the use of technology for mental health care. Our results highlight the importance of considering diverse experiences and attitudes toward the role of technology in youth mental health, digital literacy skills, phases of recovery, and sociodemographic factors when engaging family members in technology-enabled youth mental health care research and practice. Innovative methods to recruit and elicit the perspectives of family members on this topic are warranted. It is also important to consider educational strategies to inform and empower family members on the role, benefits, and use of ICTs in relation to mental health care for FEP.

Rapid national increases in the hospitalisation of Australian youth due to intentional self-harm between 2008 and 2019

2021 ◽  
pp. 103985622110479
Author(s):  
Sven K Delaney ◽  
Stephen Allison ◽  
Jeffrey CL Looi ◽  
Niranjan Bidargaddi ◽  
Tarun Bastiampillai
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Youth Mental Health ◽  
Sociocultural Factors ◽  
Youth Services ◽  
Key Indicator ◽  
Population Mental Health ◽  
Youth Population ◽  
Self Harm

Objective: Australian youth mental health services have received significant funding over the past 15 years. We analysed data on hospitalisation due to intentional self-harm to determine whether increased youth services were associated with reduction in a key indicator of youth population mental health. Method: Trends in national self-harm hospitalisation data from 2008 to 2019 for youth (<25 years) and adults (>25 years) were analysed using joinpoint regression. Results: Rates of hospitalisation due to intentional self-harm increased significantly in both male (1.1% per annum, 95% CI [0.2%, 1.9%]) and female (3.0% per annum, 95% CI [0.9%, 5.1%]) youth aged <25 years between 2008 and 2019. Female youth had higher rates of hospitalisation than males, and there were average annual increases of 9.1% (95% CI [2.4%, 16.3%]) and 4.0% (95% CI [0.1%, 7.9%]), and absolute increases of 120% and 47.9%, in the rate of hospitalisation of females aged 0–14 and 15–19, respectively. In contrast, there was no overall change in adults (>25 years). Conclusions: Rates of hospitalisation due to intentional self-harm in Australian youth have increased despite significant investment in youth mental health services. This result could be attributable to several sociocultural factors and suggests a critical need for more hospital-based emergency youth mental health services.

scholarly journals Service user experience of the Norfolk youth service

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-98
Author(s):  
David Heavens ◽  
Joanne Hodgekins ◽  
Rebecca Lower ◽  
Joanne Spauls ◽  
Benjamin Carroll ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Young People ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Youth Mental Health ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Youth Service ◽  
Service User Experience

Purpose There is an international drive to improve mental health services for young people. This study aims to investigate service user experience of a youth mental health service in Norfolk, UK. In addition to suggesting improvements to this service, recommendations are made for the development of youth mental health services in general. Design/methodology/approach A mixed-methods approach was used. Quantitative data from satisfaction questionnaires were analysed using descriptive statistics and compared between two time points. A semi-structured interview was used to generate qualitative data. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes in the interview transcripts and triangulation was used to synthesise quantitative and qualitative data. Findings Service users appeared satisfied with the service. Significant improvements in satisfaction were found between two time points. Qualitative analysis identified three main themes that were important to service users, including support, information and personhood. Practical implications Recommendations for the development of youth mental health services are provided. Although these are based on findings from the Norfolk youth service, they are likely to apply to other mental health services for young people. Originality/value Mental health care for young people requires significant improvement. The Norfolk youth service is one of the first services of its kind in the UK. The findings from this study might be helpful to consider in the development of youth mental health services across the world.

scholarly journals Take your partners please

2007 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 272-275
Author(s):  
David Yeomans
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Early Intervention ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Royal College ◽  
Voluntary Sector ◽  
Early Intervention Services ◽  
Department Of Health ◽  
Clinical Responsibility ◽  
Adult Psychiatry

Partnership working with the voluntary sector is developing across mental health services. Such partnerships have the support of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Department of Health. Setting up a partnership requires enthusiastic psychiatrists who are willing to work in new ways. These psychiatrists will face issues of personal and clinical responsibility, confidentiality and fairness. They will also have to deal with continuing changes that could unsettle a new and developing collaboration. Early intervention services may use partnerships more than other adult psychiatry services, but partnerships could be established in any specialty. Psychiatrists should make sure that appropriate evaluation is built into any new partnership.

scholarly journals The effect of a youth mental health service model on access to secondary mental healthcare for young people aged 14–25 years

2018 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Maxwell ◽  
Obianuju Ugochukwu ◽  
Tim Clarke ◽  
Brioney Gee ◽  
Emmet Clarke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Young People ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Mental Healthcare ◽  
Youth Mental Health ◽  
Service Model ◽  
Youth Service

Aims and methodThe Norfolk Youth Service was created in 2012 in response to calls to redesign mental health services to better meet the needs of young people. The new service model transcends traditional boundaries by creating a single, ‘youth friendly’ service for young people aged 14–25 years. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the transition to this new model on patterns of referral, acceptance and service use. We analysed routinely collected data on young people aged 14–25 years referred for secondary mental healthcare in Norfolk before and after implementation of the youth mental health service. The number of referrals, their age and gender, proportion of referrals accepted and average number of service contacts per referral by age pre- and post-implementation were compared.ResultsReferrals increased by 68% following implementation of the new service model, but the proportion of referrals accepted fell by 27 percentage points. Before implementation of the youth service, there was a clear discrepancy between the peak age of referral and the age of those seen by services. Following implementation, service contacts were more equitable across ages, with no marked discontinuity at age 18 years.Clinical implicationsOur findings suggest that the transformation of services may have succeeded in reducing the ‘cliff edge’ in access to mental health services at the transition to adulthood. However, the sharp rise in referrals and reduction in the proportion of referrals accepted highlights the importance of considering possible unintended consequences of new service models.Declaration of interestsNone.

Predicting the emergence of full-threshold bipolar I, bipolar II and psychotic disorders in young people presenting to early intervention mental health services

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Joanne S. Carpenter ◽  
Jan Scott ◽  
Frank Iorfino ◽  
Jacob J. Crouse ◽  
Nicholas Ho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Early Intervention ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Young People ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Suicide Attempts ◽  
Childhood Onset ◽  
Early Intervention Services ◽  
New Onset

Abstract Background Predictors of new-onset bipolar disorder (BD) or psychotic disorder (PD) have been proposed on the basis of retrospective or prospective studies of ‘at-risk’ cohorts. Few studies have compared concurrently or longitudinally factors associated with the onset of BD or PDs in youth presenting to early intervention services. We aimed to identify clinical predictors of the onset of full-threshold (FT) BD or PD in this population. Method Multi-state Markov modelling was used to assess the relationships between baseline characteristics and the likelihood of the onset of FT BD or PD in youth (aged 12–30) presenting to mental health services. Results Of 2330 individuals assessed longitudinally, 4.3% (n = 100) met criteria for new-onset FT BD and 2.2% (n = 51) met criteria for a new-onset FT PD. The emergence of FT BD was associated with older age, lower social and occupational functioning, mania-like experiences (MLE), suicide attempts, reduced incidence of physical illness, childhood-onset depression, and childhood-onset anxiety. The emergence of a PD was associated with older age, male sex, psychosis-like experiences (PLE), suicide attempts, stimulant use, and childhood-onset depression. Conclusions Identifying risk factors for the onset of either BD or PDs in young people presenting to early intervention services is assisted not only by the increased focus on MLE and PLE, but also by recognising the predictive significance of poorer social function, childhood-onset anxiety and mood disorders, and suicide attempts prior to the time of entry to services. Secondary prevention may be enhanced by greater attention to those risk factors that are modifiable or shared by both illness trajectories.

scholarly journals A Clinical Staging Model for Early Intervention Youth Mental Health Services

2014 ◽  
Vol 65 (7) ◽  
pp. 939-943 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shane P. M. Cross ◽  
Daniel F. Hermens ◽  
Elizabeth M. Scott ◽  
Antonia Ottavio ◽  
Patrick D. McGorry ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Early Intervention ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Youth Mental Health ◽  
Clinical Staging ◽  
Staging Model
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