When And How do Young People Seek Professional Help for Mental Health Problems?

This research article reports on why young people do and do not seek help from professionals for mental health conditions and how professionals can reach out to them.

‘Despite the high prevalence of mental health problems and disorders that develop in adolescence and early adulthood, young people tend to not seek professional help. Young men and young people from Indigenous and ethnic minority groups tend to be those most reluctant to seek help.’

The article covers:

• Reluctance to seek professional help
• When young people do seek help
  • Mental health literacy and emotional competence
  • Established and trusted relationships
• When young people don’t seek help
  • Suicidal thoughts
  • Reliance of self
  • Negative attitudes and fears regarding mental health services
• How to reach out to young people
  • Parents and peers
  • Schools
  • General Practice
  • Specialist services
  • Youth services
  • Self-help and complementary treatments
  • Youth participation