Abstract
ObjectivesMental disorders and suicidality among adolescents have been identified as a major public health concern worldwide; however, they often do not get the necessary attention from parents, school and health professional, and therefore are left untreated. This study aimed to investigate the factors associated with the use of mental health services among Australian adolescents aged 13–17 with mental disorders and/or suicidality.MethodsAdolescents aged 13–17 (n = 2134) from Young Minds Matter (YMM): the Second Australian Child and Adolescent Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing were included in this study. The YMM is a cross-sectional nationwide survey, in which information was collected from both parents and adolescents (aged 13–17 years). Both bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to identify the factors that have an impact on the use of mental health services (outcome variable) in two subsamples: (1) adolescents with mental disorder and (2) adolescents with suicidality.ResultsOverall, 740 (34.7%) and 168 (7.9%) adolescents reported a mental disorder and/or suicidality, respectively. The incidence of seeking any service was higher among adolescents with suicidality (approximately 50%) compared to those with a mental disorder (about 30%). Girls, older age-group (15–17), adolescents living with disadvantaged families (lower-income, less educated and unemployed parents), those who had multiple mental disorders and history of substance use were most likely to use mental health services regardless of mental disorder and suicidality. Health services and online services were the most popular type of mental health service among adolescents aged 13–17 across two subgroups, while, school and telephone services were less utilized.ConclusionsMany adolescents with mental disorders and/or suicidality do not use mental health services. The findings indicate differences in factors associated with the use of mental health services among adolescents with mental disorder and suicidality. Further research is needed to address the specific barriers that limit the use of the services.
Highlights
Mental disorders and suicidality among adolescents is a major public health concern due to its high prevalence and the significant burden it places on society [1,2,3,4]
The findings indicate differences in factors associated with the use of mental health services among adolescents with mental disorder and suicidality
It is recognized as the leading cause of death among Australian aged 15–24 years [6, 9]; the Australian Bureau of Statistics recently reported that the age-specific suicide-rate in individuals aged 15–19 and 20–24 were respectively 12.3 and 14.5 deaths per 100,000 in 2018, which is higher compared to the rate reported in 2017 [10]
Summary
Mental disorders and suicidality (ideation, plan or attempt) among adolescents is a major public health concern due to its high prevalence and the significant burden it places on society [1,2,3,4]. Recent studies in the United States suggest that the suicide rate among this age-group climbed 56% in 2017 from 2007 to rank it as the second leading cause of death [8]. It is recognized as the leading cause of death among Australian aged 15–24 years [6, 9]; the Australian Bureau of Statistics recently reported that the age-specific suicide-rate in individuals aged 15–19 and 20–24 were respectively 12.3 and 14.5 deaths per 100,000 in 2018, which is higher compared to the rate reported in 2017 [10]. Mental disorders and suicidality among children and adolescents are often unidentified by their parents and school teachers and left untreated by any health professionals [4, 13, 14]
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