|
  |
|
|
Mental Health and Young People
Mental health, which includes drug related health problems, is the number one health issue affecting young people. One in four people aged 12 to 25 will experience a mental health problem this year. That's what research says, and that's what young people themselves say. In all the recent surveys we have seen, mental health issues rate as one of their top three areas of concern. While everyone agrees that mental health is a major issue, there is a problem agreeing what it is. Mental Health specialists use definitions and classifications that other people dealing with youth are not always willing to accept. They use similar terms, like depression or conduct problems or anxiety, but without the same rigorous definitions, and define them much more loosly. That makes it very hard to be sure if different services are dealing with the same problem and just using several different terms to describe them, or whether several different problems are being described. Specialist Mental Health services deal with the most severe disorders, which tend to be pretty rare compared with the 1 in 5 with depression or anxiety~ schizophrenia effects just 1 person in 100, and bipolar disorder is even rarer. Although they are uncommon, these and similarly severe disorders tend to use up a lot of heath resources and to need life-long support and treatment. The earlier treatment can be instituted, the lees negative impacts they will have on people, their families and the community generally. That is why we have increasing numbers of early intervention teams working with young people, but since young people are unlikely to identify themselves and come forward for treatment, the teams need to work closely with schools, youth centres and other community groups. But as noted above, only a small proportion of staff in health, welfare, youth and education services have any consistent way to identify or rate the severity of mental health problems and the methods awareness and skills vary between services. As a result, it is often difficult to achieve consensus about which types of mental health problems are best managed in mental health services and which are more appropriately managed in other services. Most services identify "depression", "substance abuse" and "conduct problems" as the major mental health problems experienced by young people. When they make these judgements, service providers are generally basing their "diagnosis" on their personal experience of working with young people. Very few use any formal tests or understand the epidemiological evidence, and their referrals are frequently rejected because the young person does not meet the criteria for the proposed disorder. It sometimes seems that if a service can say, "No, we found no evidence of condition X" they believe they have done their job and the referrer should be relieved and grateful. Parents, teachers, or other adults commonly initiate the referral of young people for help based on these personal judgements. Naturally, the problems they refer are more likely to be problems which are disturbing, irritating or annoying to the referrer. The mental health problems which cause greatest distress for young people are less obvious to parents or teachers include anxiety or low self-esteem. These are harder for the young person to cope with, but also less likely to initiate a referral for help. As a result, these problems may not receive adequate recognition in estimates based primarily on reports from staff working in health, welfare, youth, and education services. It seems that the most useful single thing that could be done to facilitate good, effective care for the mental health of young people might be to develop a shared, acceptable vocabulary amongst all people dealing with youth; when we all know that we are discussing the same problem, we can also agree about how best to deal with that problem, and what role each should play.
|
Contributor's Note
As a specialist in mental health and drug use issues, my discouragement at seeing resources wasted just because workers do not communicate with each other is nicely balanced by my gratitude for the concern and willingness that exists by so many who really want to help.
|
|
|
 |
|
PLEASE VISIT THE CONTRIBUTOR'S WEBSITE
No reactions yet.
Please login or sign up to rate this intel.
Please login or sign up to add a comment.
As a sufferer from Bipolar effective disorder detected at the age of 50+, I am convinced it is a very real and damaging condition.
I would argue that my condition should have been detected at a much earlier age as attested to by my daughter.
If this had happened my life would have been so much happier.
The copyright for this content entitled "Mental Health and Young People" has been specified by the contributor as:
All Rights Reserved
This content may not be copied, distributed or adapted by anyone under any circumstances.
|
|
|
This intel was contributed by David Rich
David Rich
|
May, 2012
2008
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2009
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2010
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2011
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2012
January, February, March, April, May
|
|
Not a member yet?
Qondio is a powerful network for making it online. If you have a website to
promote, we can help.
Sign up and get in on the action.
|
|
Welcome to Qondio! Discover the awesome power this network can deliver by going to our About page. Or you could skip straight to the Sign Up form.
|
|
