What is the role of general practice in addressing youth mental health? A discussion paper

Cullen, William R.; Broderick, Neill; Connolly, Deirdre; Meagher, David

doi:10.1007/s11845-011-0757-6

Cited by 11 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 63 publications

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“…The interview topic guide (see Appendix 1) was informed by a literature review on the role of general practice in addressing youth mental health [38], and theoretic frameworks, Social Determinants of Health [21] and the ‘Chronic Care Model [37]. Interviews were conducted in person, in a quiet room, ranged in length from 16–120 minutes, and were digitally recorded.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Primary care and youth mental health in Ireland: qualitative study in deprived urban areas

et al. 2013

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BackgroundMental disorders account for six of the 20 leading causes of disability worldwide with a very high prevalence of psychiatric morbidity in youth aged 15–24 years. However, healthcare professionals are faced with many challenges in the identification and treatment of mental and substance use disorders in young people (e.g. young people’s unwillingness to seek help from healthcare professionals, lack of training, limited resources etc.) The challenge of youth mental health for primary care is especially evident in urban deprived areas, where rates of and risk factors for mental health problems are especially common. There is an emerging consensus that primary care is well placed to address mental and substance use disorders in young people especially in deprived urban areas. This study aims to describe healthcare professionals’ experience and attitudes towards screening and early intervention for mental and substance use disorders among young people (16–25 years) in primary care in deprived urban settings in Ireland.MethodsThe chosen method for this qualitative study was inductive thematic analysis which involved semi-structured interviews with 37 healthcare professionals from primary care, secondary care and community agencies at two deprived urban centres.ResultsWe identified three themes in respect of interventions to increase screening and treatment: (1) Identification is optimised by a range of strategies, including raising awareness, training, more systematic and formalised assessment, and youth-friendly practices (e.g. communication skills, ensuring confidentiality); (2) Treatment is enhanced by closer inter-agency collaboration and training for all healthcare professionals working in primary care; (3) Ongoing engagement is enhanced by motivational work with young people, setting achievable treatment goals, supporting transition between child and adult mental health services and recognising primary care’s longitudinal nature as a key asset in promoting treatment engagement.ConclusionsEspecially in deprived areas, primary care is central to early intervention for youth mental health. Identification, treatment and continuing engagement are likely to be enhanced by a range of strategies with young people, healthcare professionals and systems. Further research on youth mental health and primary care, including qualitative accounts of young people’s experience and developing complex interventions that promote early intervention are priorities. (350 words)

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Primary care and youth mental health in Ireland: qualitative study in deprived urban areas

et al. 2013

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“…The international literature shows that primary care is well placed to address the mental health of young people, but it is not without a range of challenges such as young people’s reluctance to seek help for psychosocial problems, fear of medicalization of common problems, a lack of proper training in handling mental disorders in young adults, and limited options for referral to specialist treatment and community-based, non-pharmacological interventions (Cullen et al, 2012; Healy et al, 2013; Leahy et al, 2013, 2018). Little is known about Danish GPs’ perspectives on caring for these patients and the aim of this article is, therefore, to explore how GPs’ care work is shaped through the bureaucratic management of care in a complex infrastructure network (Larkin, 2013) comprising GPs, psychiatry, municipalities and patients.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Challenging care work: General practitioners’ perspectives on caring for young adults with complex psychosocial problems

Andersen

Tjørnhøj‐Thomsen

Reventlow³

et al. 2019

Health (London)

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The international literature shows that primary care is well placed to address mental health problems in young people, but that primary care professionals experience a range of challenges in this regard. In Denmark, young adults who have complex psychosocial problems, and who are not in education or work, cause political and academic concern. They are also in regular contact with their general practitioners, the Danish municipalities and psychiatric services. However, little is known about general practitioners’ perspectives on caring for this vulnerable group of patients. In this article, we investigate how general practitioners’ care work is shaped by the bureaucratic management of care in a complex infrastructure network comprising the general practitioners, psychiatry, the municipalities and the young adults. The analysis is based on interviews and focus groups with general practitioners, psychiatric nurses and social workers. We employ Tronto’s concept of care and the concept of boundary work as a theoretical framework. We argue that general practitioners strive to provide care, but they are challenged by the following: contested diagnostic interpretations and the bureaucratic significance of diagnoses for the provision of care from psychiatry and the municipalities, systemic issues with handling intertwined social and mental health problems, and the young adults’ difficulties with accessing and receiving available care.

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“…All interviews were conducted using an interview guide which was informed by literature review on the topic and the underlying theoretical framework for the study based on the chronic care model and social determinants of health theory. Interviews were audio‐recorded, transcribed, stored, then organized using Nvivo 9.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘Nobody really gets it’: a qualitative exploration of youth mental health in deprived urban areas

Schaffalitzky

Leahy

Armstrong

et al. 2014

Early Intervention Psych

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Aim: To explore and describe the experience of mental health and addiction for young people living in urban deprived areas in Ireland.Method: Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 20 young adults attending health and social care agencies in two deprived urban areas, and analysed using thematic analysis.Results: Five main themes were identified: experiencing symptoms, symptom progression, delay accessing help, loss of control/crisis point, and consequences of mental health and substance use issues. As young people delayed help, symptoms disrupted normal life progression and they found themselves unable to engage in every-day activities. Living in deprivation made it harder to avoid developing problems: many had added stressors, less familial support and early exposure to violence, addiction and bereavement.Conclusion: Young people in urban deprived areas are vulnerable to mental health and addiction issues. Early identification is necessary to halt this progression to improve their chances of achieving their potential.

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What is the role of general practice in addressing youth mental health? A discussion paper

Cited by 11 publications

References 63 publications

Primary care and youth mental health in Ireland: qualitative study in deprived urban areas

Primary care and youth mental health in Ireland: qualitative study in deprived urban areas

Challenging care work: General practitioners’ perspectives on caring for young adults with complex psychosocial problems

‘Nobody really gets it’: a qualitative exploration of youth mental health in deprived urban areas

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