Markoulakis Roula, Cader Hinaya, Wong Karen, Kodeeswaran Sugy, Addison Tracey, Walsh Cathy, Charles Jocelyn, Cheung Amy, Sur Deepy, Willis David, Levitt Anthony
Sunnybrook Research Institute, Canada.
University of Toronto, Canada.
Health Care Transit. 2024 Nov 23;3:100082. doi: 10.1016/j.hctj.2024.100082. eCollection 2025.
Transitional-aged youth (TAY) are at a vulnerable stage of their development in which mental health and/or addiction (MHA) issues tend to manifest and/or increase in severity. These youth also tend to find themselves caught in the gap between child and adult MHA services, often resulting in sub-optimal access to and transition through MHA services. Navigation services may be one way to close this and other system gaps and improve service utilization and supports for TAY. The objective of this study was to explore the perspectives of TAY, family members, and system providers regarding the support that can be provided by navigation services in addressing the needs and barriers encountered during transitions in MHA care.
This is a descriptive qualitative study of TAY, family, and provider perspectives on the role of navigation as it pertains to transitions in care for TAY with MHA concerns. Focus groups and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 63 participants with varying levels of familiarity with navigation. Participants were asked about their experiences with navigating transitions through the MHA system and their views on the role of navigation services in supporting transitions in care. Data was analyzed utilizing a thematic analysis approach.
Five themes emerged during data analysis: navigation to traverse difficult pathways, navigation to ensure appropriate and comprehensive care, navigation to sustain continuity of care, navigation to support informed care, and navigation to facilitate TAY and family involvement.
These findings contribute to an understanding of how navigation services can be meaningful in mitigating the challenges faced by TAY and their families when seeking help for MHA issues. Navigation services have the potential to support MHA system transformation for enhanced transitions in care for TAY with MHA concerns and their families.
过渡年龄青年（TAY）正处于其发展的脆弱阶段，在此阶段，心理健康和/或成瘾（MHA）问题往往会显现和/或严重程度增加。这些青年还常常发现自己陷入儿童和成人MHA服务之间的差距，这通常导致获得MHA服务以及在MHA服务中过渡的情况不理想。导航服务可能是弥合这一差距和其他系统差距并改善TAY的服务利用和支持的一种方式。本研究的目的是探讨TAY、家庭成员和系统提供者对导航服务在满足MHA护理过渡期间遇到的需求和障碍方面所能提供的支持的看法。
这是一项描述性定性研究，探讨TAY、家庭和提供者对导航在涉及有MHA问题的TAY护理过渡中的作用的看法。对63名对导航熟悉程度不同的参与者进行了焦点小组和半结构化访谈。参与者被问及他们在通过MHA系统导航过渡方面的经历以及他们对导航服务在支持护理过渡中的作用的看法。数据采用主题分析方法进行分析。
数据分析过程中出现了五个主题：穿越艰难路径的导航、确保适当和全面护理的导航、维持护理连续性的导航、支持明智护理的导航以及促进TAY和家庭参与的导航。
这些发现有助于理解导航服务在减轻TAY及其家庭在寻求MHA问题帮助时所面临的挑战方面如何具有意义。导航服务有潜力支持MHA系统转型，以加强对有MHA问题的TAY及其家庭护理的过渡。
