Principles of optimal mental health care for adolescents and the impact of system-wide barriers

ABSTRACTObjective(i) identify principles underpinning optimal mental health service provision for adolescents as identified by mental health service professionals; (ii) identify mental health service practice- and policy-level factors which act as facilitators and barriers to providing optimal care for adolescents.Methodqualitative approach utilising semi-structured, face-to-face interviews with 23 purposively recruited government and non-government mental health professionals. The data were thematically analysed.ResultsThe mental health professionals identified three main service feature principles underpinning optimal mental health service provision for adolescents: (1) flexibility, (2) consistency; and (3) trust. Participants identified practices within mental health services that were facilitators and barriers to these three principles.DiscussionThe main characteristics mental health professionals believe are required to provide optimal mental health care for adolescents, differentially contrast with ...