scholarly journals Improving Youth Access to Mental Health Support through a Youth–Adult Partnership

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 24-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurie Ross ◽  
Lindsay Carpenter Connors

Mental and behavioral health disorders are major issues facing young people in the United States; yet, the majority of youth who need support do not get help. Young people tend not to get help for 2 interacting reasons: system barriers that prevent youth from seeking help, and personal reasons that can influence them to forgo treatment. Youth–Adult Partnerships (Y-APs) have the potential to improve mental health programming and increase service utilization because they create space to blend youth and service provider knowledge and experience. This article provides a detailed case study of a youth–adult partnership’s 2-year community assessment and strategic planning process that led to the development of an innovative mental health model that has been sustained for 15 years. This article highlights the practices that contributed to adult transformation and the importance of adults’ roles as boundary spanners in the implementation and sustainability of an intervention that addresses both system barriers and personal reasons youth forgo mental health treatment.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Ellen Mackesy-Amiti ◽  
Lawrence J. Ouellet

Background. We examined correlates of past year suicidal thoughts and behavior (STB) and described past year treatment experiences among young people who inject drugs (PWID). Methods. Participants were 570 adults (18-25 years) who injected primarily heroin. Interviews were conducted at field stations operated by Community Outreach Intervention Projects in Chicago, Illinois (USA). Interviewers administered the Psychiatric Research Instrument for Substance and Mental Disorders. Substance use and mental disorders were based on DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. Past year STB was based on multiple questions. Results. Sixteen percent of men and 25% of women reported STB in the past year. In multivariable analysis, STB was associated with non-heterosexual orientation, foster care, and being raised by two parents. Primary major depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, other anxiety disorders, and borderline personality disorder had independent effects on suicidality. Among those reporting past year STB (n=111), 83% ever received mental health treatment, while 44% did so in the past year. While 24% of respondents indicated that at least one treatment matched their needs very well, 30% reported treatment that did not match their needs at all. The most common reason for ending treatment was program completion (about 50%) while getting better was endorsed by about 25%. Nearly half reported ending treatment due to a bad experience, logistical issues, or expense. Conclusions. Young PWID are at high risk for suicidal behavior and their mental health treatment experiences often do not meet their needs. There is a pressing need for more integrated substance use and mental health treatment.


Author(s):  
Jessica N. Fish ◽  
Laura Baams ◽  
Jenifer K. McGuire

Sexual and gender minority (SGM) young people are coming of age at a time of dynamic social and political changes with regard to LGBTQ rights and visibility around the world. And yet, contemporary cohorts of SGM youth continue to evidence the same degree of compromised mental health demonstrated by SGM youth of past decades. The authors review the current research on SGM youth mental health, with careful attention to the developmental and contextual characteristics that complicate, support, and thwart mental health for SGM young people. Given a large and rapidly growing body of science in this area, the authors strategically review research that reflects the prevalence of these issues in countries around the world but also concentrate on how mental health concerns among SGM children and youth are shaped by experiences with schools, families, and communities. Promising mental health treatment strategies for this population are reviewed. The chapter ends with a focus on understudied areas in the SGM youth mental health literature, which may offer promising solutions to combat SGM population health disparities and promote mental health among SGM young people during adolescence and as they age across the life course.


2009 ◽  
Vol 24 (S1) ◽  
pp. 1-1
Author(s):  
V. Kovess ◽  
R. de Graaf ◽  
J.M. Haro ◽  
R. Bruffaerts ◽  
F. Gilbert ◽  
...  

Objective:To complete missing information on the influence of spiritual and religious advisors as informal providers for mental health problems in Europe.Methods:Recourse to religious practice or belief when coping with mental health problems was evaluated using data from the ESEMED survey. This was a stratified, multistage, clustered-area probability sample survey of mental health carried out in six European countries which included 8796 subjects. Between countries differences in sociodemographic characteristics, religious affiliation, and prevalence of mental disorders and management of mental disorders were evaluated.Results:Religion appears to play a limited role in coping with mental health problems in Europe. Only 7.9% of individuals seeking help for such problems turned to a religious advisor. This proportion differed between countries from 13% in Italy, 12.5% in Germany, 10.5% in the Netherlands, 5.8% in France, 4.7% in Belgium to 4% in Spain. In addition, seeking help exclusively from religion was reported by only 1.3% of subjects. Practicing religion at least once a week and considering religion as important in daily life were predictors of using religion versus conventional health care only. Use of religion was not influenced by gender and age. Non-Christian respondents and individuals with alcohol disorders were more likely to use religion. In Spain, the use of religion is much lower than average.Conclusions:Unlike the situation in the United States, organised religion does not provide alternative informal mental health care in Europe. At best, it could be considered as an adjunct to conventional care.


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

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.


2002 ◽  
Vol 159 (5) ◽  
pp. 845-851 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark J. Edlund ◽  
Philip S. Wang ◽  
Patricia A. Berglund ◽  
Stephen J. Katz ◽  
Elizabeth Lin ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (12) ◽  
pp. 760-761
Author(s):  
Alan Glasper

Emeritus Professor Alan Glasper, from the University of Southampton, discusses a new initiative from NHS England/NHS Improvement to improve mental health support for children and young people in schools


Author(s):  
Yamam Abuzinadah ◽  
Bader Binhadyan ◽  
Nilmini Wickramasinghe

Mental health have become a very influential topic around the world due to the increase of mental health issues that have been reported through national research and surveys. Many studies have been done along the years around the barriers in regards to seeking help in deferent countries and communities. This research aims to look closely into these barriers targeting issues and potential solutions, specifically for Saudi Arabia. Recently, the use of e-mental health services have proven to be an effective method to improve is barriers to mental health treatment. However, this chapter addresses the application and suitably of e-mental health programs for Saudi Arabia mental health services. To do so, a case study of Australian e-mental health services was selected to assist with the investigations.


Mood Prep 101 ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 255-266
Author(s):  
Carol Landau

All of the issues in this book take place in the context of a competitive, overly individualistic environment. Many educators and journalists have suggested that this is stressful to students. A study of stress in in the United States confirms that students view college application stress as detrimental to their mental health. This chapter suggests that it is incumbent upon parents and educators to lead the way in reducing the pressure, to focus more on collaboration and less on competition and individual achievement. At the same time, we need to reduce the stigma of psychological problems in order to be more humane and to encourage young people to get help when they need it.


Author(s):  
Johanna E. Nilsson ◽  
Sally Stratmann ◽  
Aurora Molitoris ◽  
Marcella A. Beaumont ◽  
Jessica Horine

Approximately 25 million refugees have fled their homelands internationally, and about 3 million have been resettled in the United States. The mental health needs of a population that has fled oppression, violence, and instability are diverse. This chapter seeks to provide a holistic overview of these needs. The introduction covers what defines the status of a refugee, current resettlement policies, and pre- and post-migration experiences and concerns among refugees, including barriers to basic services. Effective mental health treatment options and areas of competence for mental health professionals working with these individuals are discussed, along with future considerations for best meeting the mental health needs of refugees.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document