Abstract

Adolescents with mental health problems are poorly served by mental health services, since responsibility for care often falls between child and adult services. Within the UK, there is no consensus on how service boundaries should be delineated. Some services use an age cut-off at some point between 16 and 18 years, whereas others consider child services to be appropriate only for those in full-time education. The Audit Commission (1999) reported that nationally 29% of health authorities commissioned child and adolescent mental health services for young people before their 16th birthday only, although adult services were not considered suitable for those under 17 years old. The report highlighted the poor development of adolescent services and their inadequate links with other agencies, including adult mental health services.

Highlights

  • Adolescents with mental health problems are poorly served by mental health services, since responsibility for care often falls between child and adult services

  • The Mental Health Foundation report Bright Futures suggested that young people generally have a poor image of adult services (Mental Health Foundation, 1999)

  • In this paper we explore the conceptual and practical barriers that exist between child and adult services and recommend strategies for effectively managing this interface, especially in light of the development of specialist services such as early intervention in psychosis, which bridge the child-adult divide

Read more

Summary

Barriers at the interface

The interface between child and adult services is influenced by how the services have evolved in their structure and function and how they differ in their conceptualisation and management of mental illnesses (Reder et al, 2000)

Evolution of services
Differing perspectives
Diagnostic uncertainty
Rigidity of boundaries
Availability of services
Lack of a common language
Specialist services
Liaison models
Joint working
Specialised workers astride service
Conclusion
Protocols and guidelines
Findings
Training and research

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.