An exploratory study into the access to mental health services of adolescents at risk of offending

Abstract

Aim: The rationale of this study is to explore the experiences of adolescents at risk of offending in relation to accessing mental health services. Methods: This research used the approach of a desktop study in order to conduct this research. This involved the process of identifying relevant literature to address the research statement. The use of a critical appraisal framework was taken to identify six relevant primary research studies which were then analysed using thematic analysis. Findings and discussion: It was found that factors such as the role and manner of professionals has an impact on adolescent offender’s experiences of accessing mental health services. Barriers to support seeking for this group of young people include trust issues, powerless sense of identity, the tendency to hide emotion and misconceptions of mental health in relation to stigma. The provision of mental health services for this group is inadequate and more research needs to be conducted to investigate further effects of specialised mental health services. Key words: ‘adolescent offenders’, ‘mental health’, ‘mental health services’ ‘youth justice system’ ‘youth offending services’ ‘professionals’ ‘primary healthcare’ ‘stigma’