264682 Continuity of mental health service use among transitional age youth in foster care: Youth and provider perspectives on why they disengage

Monday, October 29, 2012 : 9:30 AM - 9:50 AM

Justeen Hyde, PhD , Institute for Community Health, Cambridge Health Alliance, Cambridge, MA
     
Background: Despite high rates of psychotropic medication use while in foster care, recent studies have demonstrated dramatic drops in pharmacotherapy and other mental heath services among youth who are emancipated from the foster care system. Abrupt disengagement from mental health treatment may contribute to the poor health and mental health outcomes that many former foster youth experience in the transition to adulthood. Methods: This presentation will present findings from a qualitative study of the mental health and social support services that older adolescents in foster care receive as they make the transition into adulthood. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 20 adolescents (ages 16-18) in out-of-home placements and 23 social service and mental health professionals who work with foster youth in Massachusetts. Findings: Youth participants perceive they have little voice in their mental health care as decisions about treatments are made by a number of adults in their lives, including social workers, psychiatrists, and judges. Most had limited mental health literacy and did not understand their diagnoses, available treatments, or the risks and benefits of their prescribed medications. Service providers identified a number of barriers to providing equality care to youth, including a fragmented mental health care system, incomplete background information, and a lack of trauma informed care provided to youth. Conclusions: Efforts to improve the retention of transitional age youth in mental health services are needed. Findings call for an increase in youth involvement in decision-making around mental health treatments and a concerted effort to build mental health literacy skills.

Learning Areas:
Advocacy for health and health education
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
1) To describe national trends in mental health service use among transitional age youth in child welfare custody, focusing particularly on service discontinuation upon aging out of foster care 2) To draw on qualitative research with transitional age youth in Massachusetts to identify reasons why young people decide to discontinue mental health counseling and treatment once the decision is theirs to make 3) To discuss strategies that child welfare and mental health service providers can employ to support continued mental health care for transitional age youth

Keywords: Adolescent Health, Family/Consumer Perspective

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I was the principal investigator on the study from which data will be presented. I have analyzed the data from the study and will be responsible for preparing findings for presentation at APHA.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 3056.0: Children's mental health: Accountability, collaboration and continuity