Perceived barriers and facilitators to mental health help-seeking in young people: a systematic review

BMC Psychiatry

Research Article

Kathleen M Griffiths¹  Amelia Gulliver¹  Helen Christensen¹ 

[1] Centre for Mental Health Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia;

关键词: Mental Health;    Young People;    Mental Health Problem;    Mental Distress;    Mental Health Literacy;   

DOI  :  10.1186/1471-244X-10-113

 received in 2010-10-21, accepted in 2010-12-30,  发布年份 2010

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundAdolescents and young adults frequently experience mental disorders, yet tend not to seek help. This systematic review aims to summarise reported barriers and facilitators of help-seeking in young people using both qualitative research from surveys, focus groups, and interviews and quantitative data from published surveys. It extends previous reviews through its systematic research methodology and by the inclusion of published studies describing what young people themselves perceive are the barriers and facilitators to help-seeking for common mental health problems.MethodsTwenty two published studies of perceived barriers or facilitators in adolescents or young adults were identified through searches of PubMed, PsycInfo, and the Cochrane database. A thematic analysis was undertaken on the results reported in the qualitative literature and quantitative literature.ResultsFifteen qualitative and seven quantitative studies were identified. Young people perceived stigma and embarrassment, problems recognising symptoms (poor mental health literacy), and a preference for self-reliance as the most important barriers to help-seeking. Facilitators were comparatively under-researched. However, there was evidence that young people perceived positive past experiences, and social support and encouragement from others as aids to the help-seeking process.ConclusionsStrategies for improving help-seeking by adolescents and young adults should focus on improving mental health literacy, reducing stigma, and taking into account the desire of young people for self-reliance.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Gulliver et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2010