Help and e-help - young people's perspectives of mental healthcare.

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to explore young people's experiences and perspectives on seeking and accessing help for mental health using traditional as well as electronic means.

OBJECTIVE

Three focus groups of young people aged 13-26 years who were members of community groups, explored issues guided by a series of questions.

RESULTS

Using interpretive phenomenological analysis of the transcripts, three themes emerged: Young people's perceptions of mental health problems in themselves and their peers; Young people's experiences of help and the importance of trust; Young people's perceptions of e-help and concerns about trust.

DISCUSSION

Participants appeared to have a good sense of when help is needed and how they wanted to be helped for mental health problems. However, participants described many negative experiences, particularly restricted access to help and breaches of trust. There were concerns about privacy and confidentiality with e-help, as well as a general distrust and fear of harm in seeking help.