Exploring psychological interventions and packages of care received by young people with mental health difficulties: A systematic review and longitudinal study

Jackson, Christopher (2023) Exploring psychological interventions and packages of care received by young people with mental health difficulties: A systematic review and longitudinal study. Doctoral thesis, University of East Anglia.

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Abstract

Background
Worsening youth mental health is an increasing concern worldwide, prompting efforts to find efficacious interventions and care packages to support rapidly increasing prevalence rates of mental health difficulties. The systematic review investigated the efficacy of online mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) for anxiety in young people. The empirical project explored variations in packages of care received by young people accessing mental health services. Both papers sought to inform discussions around helpful models of care for young people and explore possible ways forward for youth mental health care.

Method
The systematic review meta-analysed 14 peer-reviewed studies of online MBIs for youth with self-reported symptoms of anxiety. The empirical study was a secondary analysis of an existing dataset, exploring the mental health care received by 222 young people with clinically severe and complex mental health difficulties and social disability.

Results
The systematic review showed small effects in the direction of the reduction of anxiety symptomology following a course of online MBI. The empirical study showed that young people with more severe difficulties at baseline received more complex care, but that outcomes were comparable across different care packages.

Conclusions
Findings from both the systematic review and empirical project provide tentative support for the need for flexible, transdiagnostic approaches to youth mental health care. Findings from the systematic review suggest online MBIs may be an affordable, accessible and scalable option for milder presentations of anxiety in young people in the absence of an alternative intervention. The empirical project highlights that young people with more complex presentations require more care but that a specific model does not necessarily translate into better functional outcomes. Both papers highlight the need for youth mental health care to be considered along a continuum, with support provided based on individual stage of development and impairment.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Norwich Medical School
Depositing User:	Chris White
Date Deposited:	20 Dec 2023 15:06
Last Modified:	20 Dec 2023 15:06
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/94022
DOI:

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