Defining youth-centred practice in mental health care

Area of Science:

• Mental Health Research
• Adolescent Psychology
• Healthcare Innovation

Background:

• Rising rates of mental illness in children and youth necessitate innovative treatment approaches.
• Youth and emerging adults (16-25) exhibit the highest prevalence of mental health disorders.
• Youth-centred practices (YCP) are emerging as a key strategy in youth mental health care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore mental health professionals' understanding of Youth-centred practices (YCP).
• To investigate how YCP are implemented in practice for youth and emerging adults (YEA).
• To identify key components and challenges in delivering youth-centred mental health care.

Main Methods:

• A Youth Participatory Action Research framework guided the study.
• Qualitative focus groups and interviews were conducted with 13 mental health professionals.
• Data analysis involved codebook thematic analysis, identifying five themes and fourteen subthemes.

Main Results:

• Five key themes emerged: acknowledging YCP's role, building relationships, collaboration, accessible services, and YCP as a trainable construct.
• A core finding is the need for systems of care to be responsive to the unique and evolving needs of YEA.
• YCP involves recognizing YEA lived experiences and shifting from a "practitioner as expert" model.

Conclusions:

• Youth-centred practices (YCP) foster collaboration and empower youth and emerging adults (YEA) in their mental health care.
• Implementing YCP requires a dynamic and reflexive approach, adapting to societal changes and the evolving needs of YEA.
• YCP respects YEA lived experiences, promoting agency and informed decision-making in treatment.