Psychiatrists leave the couch to tackle mental health problems in youth

Date: Sept. 15, 1999
Time: 3:29 pm

"We have been told by youth that support services need to be more youth friendly and more easily accessible," psychiatrist Dr. Simon Davidson, told eCMAJ Today during the CPA's 49th annual meeting in Toronto. Davidson bases his comments on a study he conducted in 1993, which showed that Canadian youth who experience mental health problems were more likely to turn to other youth for help rather than to the mental health system.

"We heard there were problems getting appointments, with scheduling appointments and even confidentiality," said Dr. Davidson. "These all added up to tell us that even though anywhere from 15 to 25% of teenagers have psychiatric problems, only 1 in 6 gets any treatment."

Instead of chalking the problem up to teen angst, Davidson and colleague Dr. Ian Manion developed Youth Net/Réseau Ado, a mental health program for youth and run by youth to work on improving communication with teenagers and young adults and to create more youth-friendly mental health services. Davidson said the program uses facilitators aged between 18 and 35 to meet with youth in schools, community centres or "wherever we can," and reach out to and

identify youth at risk. From these focus group sessions, the facilitators can arrange face-to-face meetings with young people who need them, or arrange for further treatment by Davidson or Manion.

The program was established in conjunction with the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario and is currently being adapted for use in communities such as Whitehorse and Calgary. Similar programs will begin shortly in Halton, Ont., and Hamilton as well. Although Davidson is pleased with the work done through the program, he acknowledges that Youth Net/Réseau Ado needs to raise its profile to help more youth.

"We have had a hell of a problem getting our Web site up and keeping it going," he admits. "We have dedicated ourselves to service delivery, so we probably haven't done enough to promote the program."

Davidson added however, that since the program is still developing, it will continue to look for innovative ways to reach out to youth who need help.

Send a letter to the editor Envoyez une lettre à la rédaction