Abstract
Young people are sharing their experiences of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in the United Kingdom on TikTok. Little is known about the content of these videos and their influence on young people's attitudes towards seeking professional mental health support. This study explored how CAMHS is represented in a sample of 100 #camhs TikTok videos using participatory inductive framework thematic analysis. Four themes were developed alongside young people as co-researchers: (a) CAMHS can be frustrating and unhelpful, but sometimes life-saving, (b) Young people can feel their distress is invalidated by CAMHS, (c) CAMHS makes young people feel responsible for their distress, and (d) Young people may not feel CAMHS professionals are trustworthy. Video content described dismissive responses to expressions of suicidal ideation, professional knowledge being privileged over lived experience, and breaches of confidentiality. Some shared positive experiences of CAMHS helping to keep them safe. Together, the themes reflect a representation of CAMHS as a service where adults are powerful and young people occupy a subjugated position. This may influence young people's professional help-seeking behaviour. Recommendations for clinical practice and future research are presented.
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