A group of youth with severe and enduring mental health problems (SEMHP) falls between the cracks of the child-and-adolescent psychiatry (CAP) system. An insufficient understanding of these youth's... Show moreA group of youth with severe and enduring mental health problems (SEMHP) falls between the cracks of the child-and-adolescent psychiatry (CAP) system. An insufficient understanding of these youth's mental health problems results in a failure to accurately identify and provide support to these youth. To gain a deeper understanding, the aim of this study is to explore characteristics of youth with SEMHP in clinical practice based on the experiences of youth and clinicians in CAP. This qualitative study consisted of 20 semi-structured interviews with 10 youth with lived experience and 10 specialized clinicians in CAP. Both a thematic and content analysis was conducted to identify, assess, and report themes associated with youth with SEMHP. Themes were individual characteristics such as trauma, masking, self-destructive behavior, interpersonal distrust as well as environmental and systematic characteristics including parental stressors, social isolation and societal stressors, which go beyond the existing classifications. These characteristics profoundly impact youth's daily functioning across various life domains, creating an interactive process, ultimately leading to elusive mental health problems and overwhelming feelings of hopelessness. The authors recommend proper assessment of characteristics in all life domains affected and their perpetuating effect on SEMHP during diagnostics in CAP. Engaging in a dialogue with youth themselves is crucial due to the nature of youth's characteristics, which frequently transcend traditional classifications and may not be immediately discernible. It also requires an integrated care approach, entailing collaborations between educational institutions and mental healthcare providers, and attention to potential indicators of deficits in the healthcare system and society. Show less
Soet, R. de; Nooteboom, L.A.; Bansema, C.H.; Ewijk, H. van; Nijland, L.; Vermeiren, R.R.J.M. 2023
Youth with severe and enduring mental health problems (SEMHP) do not profit from regular child and adolescent psychiatric (CAP) treatment. Their changing and complex problems cause enormous... Show moreYouth with severe and enduring mental health problems (SEMHP) do not profit from regular child and adolescent psychiatric (CAP) treatment. Their changing and complex problems cause enormous suffering. To understand why these youth inadequately profit from CAP treatment, this qualitative study aimed to examine the experiences of youth with SEMHP, practitioners, and caregivers to identity barriers and facilitators in treatment. We conducted 31 semi-structured interviews with youth (n = 10), practitioners (n = 10), and caregivers of youth with SEMHP (n = 11). A thematic analysis was performed both deductively and inductively, and the perspectives of participants were compared. Results showed barriers and facilitators in five categories: before treatment, engagement and accountability, trust-based treatment, organization of care, and hopelessness. To restore epistemic trust, a shift from a risk-avoidance approach towards trust-based relationships in treatment is required. Additionally, organizing continuous and tailored care can prevent youth from slipping through the cracks of waiting lists and receiving inadequate treatment. Show less
