Experiences of Adolescent Males in CAMHS
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Experiences of adolescent males seeking help for their mental health from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
IRAS ID
315579
Contact name
David Sanderson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Teesside University
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 1 months, 30 days
Research summary
Mental health disorders are highly prevalent in young people. Research suggests a large proportion of these disorders are formed in adolescence and carried forward into adulthood, causing significant personal and societal cost. Effective interventions are available for young people, yet less than two thirds access professional services, highlighting a need for improved understanding of the barriers and facilitators to help-seeking behavior in this age group. Previous research has focused on parents perceived barriers and facilitators to their children accessing treatment for their mental health. However, as children get older, they are able to take more responsibility in seeking help for themselves and it is therefore important to establish their views on the matter. Recent systematic reviews demonstrate that the majority of studies in this area have focused on the perceived barriers to young people in educational settings, with very little research exploring the lived experiences of those who have already accessed mental health services and the reported facilitators that helped them to do so. One group that are the least likely to seek help for their mental health is adolescent males. Therefore, it is vital to explore the experiences of those that have. The proposed study will seek to address this gap in the literature, employing qualitative methods in a clinical population of adolescent males who have accessed CAMHS for a mental health concern. Participants will be asked to take part in semi-structured interviews, which will be recorded, transcribed and analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Through better understanding of these service-user experiences, practical means of improving rates of help-seeking and treatment engagement in adolescent males can be considered, along with implications for service delivery and development.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - South Yorkshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/YH/0178
Date of REC Opinion
13 Oct 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion