Background: Despite a high level of research, policy, and practice interest in help-seeking for mental health problems and mental disorders, there is currently no agreed and commonly used definition or conceptual measurement framework for help-seeking. Methods: A systematic review of research activity in the field was undertaken to investigate how help-seeking has been conceptualized and measured. Common elements were used to develop a proposed conceptual measurement framework. Results: The database search revealed a very high level of research activity and confirmed that there is no commonly applied definition of help-seeking and no psychometrically sound measures that are routinely used. The most common element in the help-seeking research was a focus on formal help-seeking sources, rather than informal sources, although studies did not assess a consistent set of professional sources; rather, each study addressed an idiosyncratic range of sources of professional health and community care. Similarly, the studies considered help-seeking for a range of mental health problems and no consistent terminology was applied. The most common mental health problem investigated was depression, followed by use of generic terms, such as mental health problem, psychological distress, or emotional problem. Major gaps in the consistent measurement of help-seeking were identified. Conclusion: It is evident that an agreed definition that supports the comparable measurement of help-seeking is lacking. Therefore, a conceptual measurement framework is proposed to fill this gap. The framework maintains that the essential elements for measurement are: the part of the help-seeking process to be investigated and respective time frame, the source and type of assistance, and the type of mental health concern. It is argued that adopting this framework will facilitate progress in the field by providing much needed conceptual consistency. Results will then be able to be compared across studies and population groups, and this will significantly benefit understanding of policy and practice initiatives aimed at improving access to and engagement with services for people with mental health concerns. Keywords: help-seeking, mental health problem, mental disorder, service use, measurement, systematic review
ABSTRACT Introduction Youth suicide is a concern worldwide, and suicidality—the presence of suicidal ideation or intent—is a critical risk for youth mental health services. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of suicidality in primary care, youth mental health services, along with its correlates and the course of treatment offered to clients. Methods Routinely collected data from Australia's headspace National Youth Mental Health Foundation, which has over 160 centres across Australia providing mental health care to young people aged 12–25 years, were analysed for new clients who started and completed their first episode of care between 1 July 2022 and 30 June 2023. This included 30 437 young people/episodes of care and 74 393 occasions of service. Results Results showed that suicidality was evident in almost one‐quarter of young people, although it was rarely reported as a primary presenting issue. When present, it was usually identified at first visit. Those most at risk were young people in unstable accommodation, who identified as LGBTIQA+ or who were indigenous. Conclusions The findings show that suicidality should be anticipated in young people presenting to primary care mental health settings, and youth services need to be able to competently deal with suicide risk rather than using this as exclusion criteria.
Teachers and youth sports coaches are in prominent positions to support young people and their mental health. However, the way these professionals perceive their roles is likely to be a powerful influence on such behaviour. This article investigates and compares the effect of four types of role perceptions—role breadth, instrumentality, efficacy, and discretion—on teachers' and coaches' engagement in helping behaviour that supports young people's mental health through promotion, prevention, and early intervention. An online survey was completed by 117 teachers and 131 coaches. Results from three multiple group path analyses revealed role breadth, instrumentality, and efficacy significantly influenced teachers' and coaches' helping behaviour. The extent to which role perceptions predicted helping behaviour did not differ between teachers and coaches. Assisting teachers and coaches to carry out promotion, prevention, and early intervention behaviour increases young people's access to mental health support and may help to reduce the burden of mental health problems among Australian young people.
Purpose Internet child abuse material (I/CAM) offences negatively affect children in our own communities and in the wider virtual world. This study aims to understand the differentiation between online (internet) and offline (contact) offenders. The development of the Estimated Risk for Internet Child Sexual Offending (ERICSO), a proposed instrument for I/CAM offenders, incorporated a case study component to test on a known offender before the tool is applied to a wider sample. Design/methodology/approach The case study approach provides a unique opportunity for researchers to consider reflections from an I/CAM offender. These insights provide unique perspectives on areas for further exploration, including suggestions for consideration in the assessment and treatment of I/CAM offenders. Findings Mr A is a male convicted of possessing I/CAM with previous convictions for contact child sexual offending. During the development of the ERICSO, Mr A provided commentary on proposed questions based on his experiences as an offender and his communications with other offenders. Mr A’s feedback was generally consistent with current research findings, with notable suggestions in recognising the importance of differentiating between fantasy/reality, violence/voyeurism and the role technology plays in I/CAM offences. These reflections will be considered in conjunction with ongoing development and validity studies of the ERICSO to contribute to the targeted assessment and risk-relevant treatment for I/CAM offenders. Originality/value The use of a case study in the development of a proposed assessment instrument provides a unique perspective to improve ecological validity.
Abstract Introduction Evaluating service quality and satisfaction is central to the provision of accessible and developmentally appropriate youth mental health services. However, there are limited suitable measures and a lack of published evidence on the psychometric properties of measures to assess young people's satisfaction with youth mental health services. The headspace Youth (Mental Health) Service Satisfaction Scale (YSSS) was designed and implemented to assess young people's satisfaction with headspace mental health services in Australia. This study examined the reliability and factor structure of the YSSS in a youth mental health service in Ireland. Methods The sample comprised 1449 young people (66.2% female) aged 12–25 years (M = 16.48, SD = 2.97). Participants completed the YSSS after their final brief intervention session through Jigsaw—The National Centre for Youth Mental Health. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed on one‐ and four‐factor models to test findings from previous studies. Reliability was also examined. Results CFA supported a single‐factor structure of the YSSS, and all items were suitable for inclusion. The internal consistency of the measure was deemed acceptable ( α = 0.89). Conclusions Findings suggest that the YSSS is a reliable measure for monitoring satisfaction with youth mental health services in an Irish context. The measure demonstrated a unidimensional construct of satisfaction. These findings support the broader application of the YSSS and add to existing knowledge on measuring satisfaction within youth mental health services.
Technological advances, together with the recent phenomenon of computer-mediated communication as an integral part of young people's lives, mean that traditional face-to-face delivery is not the only way to address mental health issues. There is now a rapidly developing e-spectrum of interventions that parallels, supports and substantially extends opportunities across the traditional spectrum. Debra Rickwood, Professor of Psychology at the University of Canberra and Head of Clinical Leadership and Research at headspace, Australia's National Youth Mental Health Foundation, believes the potential for the e-spectrum is undeniable. Here she examines the types of interventions being developed and their role in youth mental health, including the challenges and gaps that are becoming evident.
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