Facilitating Early Intervention: Experiences of Young People and Implications for the Shaping of Headspace Services

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to gain an understanding of the factors that facilitate entry of young people into the Australian mental health care system with a view to developing headspace service delivery in youth-friendly directions.

Method: Fifteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with experienced mental health help-seekers in early adulthood.

Results: Social factors involving families, friends and professionals dominated discussions about the initiation and voluntary continuation of mental health care.

Conclusions: A range of social interactions combine to facilitate the entry of young people into care. The actions of families and friends are very important for the initiation of care while the clinicians’ modes of communicating with young people are critical in making the experience of care comfortable and worth the perseverance. If genuine service delivery reform is to be achieved, taking account of the views of young people who have overcome the well-documented obstacles to care is invaluable for the ongoing development of youth-friendly services such as those offered by headspace.