. 2020 Oct 5;22(10):e18514.

doi: 10.2196/18514.

Help-Seeking Behaviors of Transition-Aged Youth for Mental Health Concerns: Qualitative Study

Chelsea Stunden^{1

2}, Julie Zasada^{2

3}, Nicole VanHeerwaarden^{2

4}, Elisa Hollenberg², Alexxa Abi-Jaoudé², Gloria Chaim^{5

6}, Kristin Cleverley^{5

6

7}, Joanna Henderson^{5

6}, Andrew Johnson², Andrea Levinson^{6

8}, Brian Lo^{2

4

9}, Janine Robb⁸, Jenny Shi², Aristotle Voineskos^{6

10}, David Wiljer^{2

4

6

11}

Affiliations

¹ School of Population and Public Health, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada.
² Office of Education, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
³ Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
⁴ Institute of Health Policy, Management & Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁵ Margaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child, Youth & Family Mental Health, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁶ Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁷ Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁸ Health and Wellness, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁹ Information Management Group, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
¹⁰ Slaight Family Centre for Youth in Transition, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
¹¹ Education, Technology & Innovation, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.

PMID: 33016882
PMCID: PMC7573698
DOI: 10.2196/18514

Help-Seeking Behaviors of Transition-Aged Youth for Mental Health Concerns: Qualitative Study

Chelsea Stunden et al. J Med Internet Res. 2020.

. 2020 Oct 5;22(10):e18514.

doi: 10.2196/18514.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ School of Population and Public Health, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada.
² Office of Education, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
³ Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
⁴ Institute of Health Policy, Management & Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁵ Margaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child, Youth & Family Mental Health, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁶ Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁷ Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁸ Health and Wellness, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁹ Information Management Group, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
¹⁰ Slaight Family Centre for Youth in Transition, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
¹¹ Education, Technology & Innovation, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.

PMID: 33016882
PMCID: PMC7573698
DOI: 10.2196/18514

Abstract

Background: Transition-aged youth are particularly vulnerable to mental health problems, yet they are one of the least likely demographic groups to seek help.

Objective: The aim of this study is to explore the influences on and patterns in help-seeking for mental health concerns among transition-aged youth who attend postsecondary schools in Canada.

Methods: A qualitative research design was used, involving 12 semistructured focus groups with transition-aged youth (17-29 years) who attended postsecondary schools in Canada. A thematic analysis was conducted to code the transcripts and develop themes.

Results: Four main themes and subthemes regarding the process and experience of help-seeking were generated: (1) the influence of formal service providers (accessibility and experiences), (2) the influence of social factors (system navigation and stigma), (3) the influence of health literacy (symptom recognition, acting on symptoms, digital tools and the internet, and mental health awareness campaigns), and (4) the influence of low-intensity sources of support, namely, self-help.

Conclusions: Transition-aged youth seek help for mental health problems in different ways. Despite efforts to improve access to mental health services, transition-aged youth continue to face barriers to accessing these services, especially formal sources of support. The factors identified in this study that either hinder or facilitate help-seeking have pragmatic implications for developing help-seeking interventions and delivering mental health services for this population. In addition to other facilitators, family physicians are an important resource in the help-seeking process. Furthermore, digital help-seeking tools have unique characteristics that may make them an important source of support for transition-aged youth.

Keywords: adolescent; eHealth; help-seeking behavior; mHealth; mental health; mobile apps; social stigma; social support; students; substance abuse.

©Chelsea Stunden, Julie Zasada, Nicole VanHeerwaarden, Elisa Hollenberg, Alexxa Abi-Jaoudé, Gloria Chaim, Kristin Cleverley, Joanna Henderson, Andrew Johnson, Andrea Levinson, Brian Lo, Janine Robb, Jenny Shi, Aristotle Voineskos, David Wiljer. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 05.10.2020.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: None declared.

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Help-Seeking Behaviors of Transition-Aged Youth for Mental Health Concerns: Qualitative Study

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Help-Seeking Behaviors of Transition-Aged Youth for Mental Health Concerns: Qualitative Study

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