Young people experience one of the highest rates of mental health
problems of any group, but make the least use of the support available
to them. To reach young people in distress, we need to understand what
this digital generation want from mental health professionals and
services.
Based on interviews with nearly 400 young people, this book offers a
vision of youth mental health issues and services through the eyes of
young people themselves. It offers professionals important insights into
the meaning of identity and agency for this generation and explores how
these issues play out in young people's expectations of mental health
support. It shows how, despite young people's immersion in digital
technology, genuine and trusting relationships remain a key ingredient
in their priorities for support. It considers what access to mental
health support means for a generation who have grown up with the
immediacy enabled by digital technology. Young people's accounts also
provide crucial insights into how they are using digital resources to
manage their own mental health - in ways often not appreciated by
professionals who design internet interventions.
What Young People Want From Mental Health Services offers clear
guidance to counsellors, psychologists, psychiatrists, youth workers,
social workers, service providers and policymakers about how to work
with youth and design their services so they are a better match for
young people today. It contributes to a growing movement calling for a
'Youth Informed Approach' to mental health to address the needs of young
people.
