Radigan Marleen, Wang Rui, Chen Yu, Xiang Jiani
NYS Office of Mental Health, 44 Holland Ave, Albany, NY, 12229, USA,
Community Ment Health J. 2014 Nov;50(8):915-21. doi: 10.1007/s10597-014-9709-8. Epub 2014 Feb 13.
Access to peer advocates is increasingly available to youth and their caregivers who are receiving services in the public mental health system. This study examines associations between reported access to a youth or family advocate and perceptions of satisfaction with mental health services. A cross-sectional survey of youth (N = 768) and caregivers (N = 1,231) who utilized public mental health services in New York State in 2012 was conducted. The survey includes items on access to youth or family advocates and degree of satisfaction with mental health services. A greater proportion of youth or caregivers with access to peer advocates compared to those without access responded positively on the satisfaction domains of access to services, appropriateness of services, participation in services and overall/global satisfaction. Access to peer advocates was also positively associated with agreement on the psychotropic medication comprehension domain for youth and on perceptions of child functioning and social connectedness for caregivers compared to those without access. This study adds to the growing understanding of the important role peer advocates play in engaging youth with mental health needs and their caregivers in mental health services.
在公共心理健康系统中接受服务的青少年及其照顾者越来越容易获得同伴支持。本研究调查了报告获得青少年或家庭支持与心理健康服务满意度之间的关联。2012年对纽约州使用公共心理健康服务的青少年（N = 768）和照顾者（N = 1231）进行了横断面调查。该调查包括关于获得青少年或家庭支持以及对心理健康服务满意度的项目。与未获得支持的青少年或照顾者相比，获得同伴支持的青少年或照顾者在服务可及性、服务适宜性、服务参与度和总体/全球满意度等满意度领域的回答更为积极。与未获得支持的人相比，获得同伴支持的青少年在精神药物理解领域的认同度更高，照顾者对儿童功能和社会联系的认知也更高。本研究进一步加深了人们对同伴支持在促使有心理健康需求的青少年及其照顾者参与心理健康服务方面所起重要作用的理解。
