EMental health service use among Australian youth: a cross-sectional survey framed by Andersen's model.

Abstract

Objective Young adults aged 18-24 years often delay or avoid seeking help for their mental health concerns. eMental health, the use of the Internet to deliver mental health information, services and care, offers a low-cost, easy-access option. However the factors that influence online help-seeking among this cohort remain unclear. Methods Andersen's healthcare utilisation model was adapted to examine correlates of eMental health use among Australian youth. In all, 161 young adults completed an online survey comprising sociodemographic questions, online feature preferences, the Actual and General Help-seeking Questionnaires, Berkman-Syme Social Network Index, General Self-Efficacy Scale, Service Obstacles Scale and Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales. Results Almost 70% of young people reported having previously accessed some form of online support for their personal or emotional problems. This included informal information via social media and formalised counselling services. Notably, perception of service satisfaction was low. Hierarchical logistical regression identified two significant predisposing factors to subsequent online help-seeking: prior face-to-face service use and living or cohabitating with others. Conclusions eMental health is accessed by young people in Australia, yet more needs to be done to better integrate this service model into the healthcare system. This includes training and education for consumers and professionals about existing, effective programs. What is known about this topic? eMental health platforms can bridge the gap between technology and conventional mental health care. Despite its rapidly expanding evidence base, the implementation of eMental health into the Australian healthcare system remains slow. More work needs to be done to elucidate the factors underlying preferences for online help-seeking. What does this paper add? Young adult perspectives on the delivery of mental health information, services and care via the Internet are examined in accordance with a major conceptual model, namely Andersen's behavioural model of health services use. The majority of those surveyed reported having accessed some form of online support for an emotional issue, although dissatisfaction with the quality of this support was expressed. Andersen's model can guide future research in this area and potentially help target eMental health initiatives to individual service users' needs. What are the implications for practitioners? eMental health interventions offer an alternative for young adults who have difficulty accessing traditional mental health care services, but are also an adjunct to those experiencing mild to moderate symptoms of mental illness. Practitioners can introduce young adults to eMental health by discussing the benefits and limitations and by providing information about available and secure online programs delivered by trusted service providers.