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Mapping Youth Mental Healthcare Access

Helping young people with mental health challenges access the right support earlier in their journey by understanding how families make decisions over time.

Investigators

  • Dr Bronwyn Milkins

  • Professor Jeneva Ohan

  • Professor Helen Milroy

  • Dr Michael English

  • Dr Karen Lombardi

  • Dr Tanika Sgherza

  • Dr Celeste Duff

  • Dr Ines Pandzic

  • Dr Megan Ansell

  • Dr Hayley Jackson

  • Kiralee Paine

Project summary

Researchers from the Healing Kids, Healing Families team at The Kids Research Institute Australia have launched a new research project looking at how families make decisions about young people's access to, and engagement with, mental health services.

Young people aged 12 to 17 and parents will be interviewed twice over six months to understand how they talk about mental health services over time.

This is the first study to map family decision-making about youth mental health in this way.

Project aims

· Map the key points where young people engage with, and disengage from, mental health support

· Understand how family communication about mental health shapes whether and when young people access services

· Identify what's working well, and where the gaps are, in the support currently available to families

Anticipated Impact

Mental illness is the leading cause of poor health among young Australians. Around two in five young people experience mental illness each year, yet only about 30 per cent access professional support, and many don't seek help until they reach crisis point.

This research will help identify the service, policy, and family-level changes needed to get young people into care earlier, and to keep them engaged long enough to recover.

This project is the first step in a larger programme of research aimed at making sure more young people can access the mental health support they need, when they need it.

Funder of the Project

Embrace at The Kids

External collaborators

We are grateful to our main external collaborator, Youth Focus, for their support.

More information

If you have any questions about this research project, please email Principal Investigator Dr Bronwyn Milkins at Bronwyn.Milkins@thekids.org.au