Overcoming barriers to reach for a helping hand: adolescent boys’ experience of visiting the public health nurse for mental health problems

Why do young men not seek help for affective mental health issues? A systematic review of perceived barriers and facilitators among adolescent boys and young men

Men are less likely to seek help for their mental health than women, but less is known about the specific patterns of help-seeking in adolescent boys and young men. This is concerning as adolescent boys and young men have high suicide rates but a low take-up of services. It is therefore of particular importance that the access needs of this group are understood. This review sought to identify the barriers and facilitators faced by adolescent boys and young men in help-seeking for affective mental health disorders. A search of the PubMed, APA PsycInfo, and Cochrane databases identified 3961 articles, of which 12 met the inclusion criteria. Six of the studies were qualitative, five were quantitative and one used mixed methods. Two authors independently extracted data and assessed the quality of the articles. Five key themes were identified, including the impact of social norms, with the subthemes of conformity to masculine norms and self-stigma, limited availability of information about mental health, and 'male-friendly' mental health literacy campaigns. Other themes referred to the help-seeking preferences of adolescent boys and young men, in terms of informal or formal and online or offline help-seeking. Some of the factors were well-researched (e.g., conformity to masculine norms as a barrier) whereas other factors (e.g., self-compassion as a facilitator) were less researched. These barriers and facilitators need to be considered in the development of future strategies to improve the help-seeking behaviour of adolescent boys and young men.

Adolescent boys' experiences of mental health and school health services - an interview study from Norway

BACKGROUND

Mental health problems among adolescents is a global challenge. During the transition to adolescence, physiological, psychological, and social changes occur, leading to increased vulnerability. Thus, adolescent boys are less likely to seek help for mental health problems, which makes them an undetected group. The aim of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of adolescent boys' experiences of mental health and school health service.

METHODS

An inductive, qualitative design was chosen using three focus group interviews and three individual interviews. The study included 18 adolescent boys in 7th grade, in a school located in a medium-sized municipality in Norway. The interviews were analysed with qualitative content analysis. The consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ) were followed in this study.

RESULTS

The overall theme "barriers towards seeking help", and three categories- navigating stigma and privacy concerns; perceptions of self-responsibility; and lacking knowledge of mental health problems and help-seeking-described the adolescent boys experiences. The awareness and willingness to seek help were present, but there are barriers preventing the adolescent boys from acting on that willingness.

CONCLUSIONS

Lack of knowledge and a non-permissive culture for mental health problems among adolescents contributes to decreased help-seeking behaviour among adolescent boys. The school health service is the most related health service for adolescents and should focus on being available and strengthening empowerment and mental health literacy through the development and implementation of interventions to promote mental health.

The use of youth healthcare services and its association with health-related quality of life, physical and mental health and over-the-counter analgesics use in 13-19-year-old adolescents: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Youth healthcare services in Norway include a public health nurse (PHN) at school and local youth health centres (YHCs). They provide health services for all adolescents free of charge, focusing on health promotion and disease prevention. The present study aimed to assess possible associations between health-related quality of life (HRQoL), physical and mental health, over-the-counter analgesics (OTCA) use and use of youth healthcare services among 13-19-year-old adolescents.

METHODS

This study was based on national, cross-sectional data from the Ungdata Survey conducted in 2022. The sample was comprised of 16 482 adolescents. Multiple logistic regression was used to analyse the associations between HRQoL, headaches, selected physical symptoms, psychological distress, use of OTCA, PHN availability, sociodemographic variables, and use of the PHN at school or at a YHC. The KIDSCREEN-10 was used to measure HRQoL, and the Hopkins Symptoms Checklist 10 was used to measure symptoms of psychological distress.

RESULTS

Girls used the youth healthcare services more frequently than boys. Better HRQoL was significantly associated with fewer visits to the PHN at school. Girls reported lower HRQoL and mental health, and more pain and frequent OTCA use than boys. When having symptoms of psychological distress, boys had greater odds of visiting the PHN at school than girls. For girls in senior high school, headaches and OTCA use were strongly associated with visiting the PHN at school and the YHC. In senior high school, boys with an immigration background had greater odds of visiting the YHC than native Norwegian boys, while girls with an immigration background were less likely to visit the YHC than native Norwegian girls.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results show that more girls than boys use youth healthcare services. When adolescents experience pain, have mental problems, use OTCA, or report low levels of HRQoL, they have greater odds of using youth healthcare services. Youth healthcare services offer excellent opportunities to support and follow up with adolescents. The findings provide important insights into youth healthcare services used by adolescents for various stakeholders, including PHNs and policy makers, with potential implications for future public health efforts.

Living an ordinary life – yet not: the everyday life of children and adolescents living with a parent with deafblindness

Introduction

The family life of people living with one family member with deafblindness has been sparsely described.

Purpose

The aim of the study was to explore how children experience their everyday family life when having a parent with deafblindness.

Methods

An explorative study in which data have been collected by qualitative interviews of children. Qualitative content analysis has been used for analysing the data.

Results

Overall theme; Living an ordinary life—yet not, is based on four categories with subcategories. A family like any other describes: Having the same family life as their friends, Acting like other children and It is what it is. Different everyday life describes: Acknowledging differences, Adjusting to the parent’s needs and Financial strain. Being there for the parent describes: Helping the parent and Protecting the parent from harm. Being emotionally affected describes: Feelings of frustration, Feelings of compassion and Need for support.

Conclusion

Children as relatives of parents with deafblindness have been given a voice. The children live an ordinary life, but at the same time a different ordinary life. Professionals need to take the child and their needs into account when support is given.

Public health nurses’ experiences working with children who are next of kin: a qualitative study

Background

There are a substantial number of children who are the next of kin of parents suffering from illness or substance abuse. These children can experience emotional and behavioral problems and may need support from professionals. In Norway, the specialist health service in hospitals is required to have a designated practitioner in each department to ensure support for and follow up of children who are next of kin; however, this is not regulated by law in the health care in the municipalities. The aim of this study was to explore public health nurse’s experiences working with children who are next of kin.

Methods

Qualitative interviews were conducted with 10 public health nurses working in the child health clinic and the school health service in four municipalities. Data were analysed using content analysis. Reporting of this study is conducted in accordance to COREQ’s checklist.

Results

The analysis resulted in one main theme: ‘Lack of guidelines and routines among public health nurses working with children who are next of kin’. The main theme consisted of four categories: (1) identifying children who are next of kin are incidental; (2) public health nurses must be observant and willing to act; (3) communication is an important tool; and (4) follow up over time is not always provided.

Conclusion

The public health nurses experienced uncertainty concerning how to identify and follow up children who are next of kin but were vigilant and willing to act in the children’s best interest. Doing so necessitated collaboration with other professionals. The need for guidelines around the role and responsibilities for the public health nurse were emphasized. The knowledge provided by the current study offers valuable insight into strengths and limitations in the support of children who are next of kin and can inform stakeholders in organizing sustainable support for this group.

School Nurses’ Experiences in Dealing with Adolescents Having Mental Health Problems

Introduction

An increased number of adolescents experience mental health problems. School nurses have described spending more than 50% of their time working with mental health in students. The lack of knowledge and necessary training to meet students’ mental health needs has been described previously. School nurses have a responsibility to find and guide those who need help with mental health problems.

Objectives

The aim of this study was, therefore, to explore school nurses’ experiences with mental health and how they in this work identify, talk, and intervene with adolescents having mental health problems.

Methods

A qualitative study was conducted with 21 school nurses using focus group interviews which were analyzed by means of content analysis.

Results

Three descriptive categories emerged: Health-promoting or preventive approaches, Enabling students to talk about feelings, and Collaborating partners.

Conclusion

School nurses highlight their mandate to work with health promotion and prevention but also draw attention to their difficulties in identifying those who need help. School nurses use their creativity, intuition, and knowledge but have difficulty identifying those students who need help with mental health problems. They also highlight collaboration with other professionals both in schools and in the health system.

Facilitating factors for seeking help for mental health problems among Norwegian adolescent males: A focus group interview study

BACKGROUND

Young males are overrepresented in suicide statistics and underrepresented in statistics of help-seeking and receiving help from formal health services compared with young females. Few studies have examined facilitating factors for help-seeking among adolescent males with no previous experience seeking mental health help. This study aimed to explore thoughts, attitudes, and experiences regarding facilitating factors toward formal help-seeking for mental health problems among Norwegian adolescent males.

METHOD

Three focus group interviews were conducted, each including four adolescent males with no experience with help-seeking or receiving help from a help service for mental health problems. The interviews addressed topics such as barriers and facilitating factors for help-seeking and preferences regarding structural factors and modes of delivery of help. Data were analyzed according to the systematic text condensation method.

RESULTS

The analysis revealed three main categories of facilitating factors: (1) transparent information and available help services, (2) proactive and outreaching help services, and (3) the possibility for discreet help-seeking.

CONCLUSIONS

Improving help-seeking is integral to accessing care and improving mental health. Help services can be more accessible and approachable for male adolescents if they offer discretion, the possibility to remain anonymous, the option to receive help in a convenient context, and outreach services.

"Finding a safe space": A qualitative study of what makes help helpful for adolescents bereaved by suicide

Experiencing a death by suicide is a devastating event in the lives of adolescents; however, little is known about what makes help helpful according to their experiences. Thematic analysis of individual and group interview data (N = 18) yielded four themes: feeling connected with, and understood by a helper, having a sense of control over, and access to the help as needed. Findings indicate that help should be based on supportive and educational approaches with respect to the adolescents' agency and the family context. Help must be accessible on a long-term basis while catering for flexible usage.