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While We Wait: understanding the impact of service wait times on GPs' treatment behaviour for youth patients with mental health problems
Australian Journal of Primary Health ; 28(4):xlvi, 2022.
Article in English | EMBASE | ID: covidwho-2058301
ABSTRACT

Background:

Wait times for in-person mental health treatment are a national crisis for young people. Long wait times are associated with many negative consequences such as lower treatment satisfaction and discontinuation, symptom deterioration and relapse, and lower likelihood of future help-seeking. With the onset of COVID-19, wait times have become longer. General Practitioners (GPs) are the primary referrers to in-person mental health treatment, however, their ability to care for their youth patients' mental health is often negatively impacted by long wait times, often resulting in GPs engaging in significantly high levels of management, with little resources to do so. Brief, low-intensity digital interventions may provide accessible, evidence-based, and cost-effective care while young people await in-person mental health care. Aim/

Objectives:

This study aims to examine the impact of service wait times on GPs' treatment of mental health problems in youth patients and explore their openness to recommending digital interventions as support during this time. Method(s) A national cross-sectional survey conducted among 430 GPs (currently recruiting). Finding(s) This presentation will outline the survey results. Preliminary results (N=53) indicate that wait times impact GP decisions and management of young patients. Specifically, participants reported that due to long wait times, they often increase their care rather than refer patients to services (M=4.08, SD=.79) and often refer patients to different services than their preferred service (M=4.00, SD=.69), are very open to recommending mobile mental health apps to their patients (M=4.24, SD=.84), but are only somewhat confident in doing so (M=3.57, SD=1.27). Implications This research is the first in Australia to examine mental health service wait times on GP treatment care and decisions specifically for youth. It will inform how young patients can be best supported and which interventions GPs consider to be most ideal for supporting young people while they await in-person mental health care.
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Collection: Databases of international organizations Database: EMBASE Type of study: Experimental Studies Language: English Journal: Australian Journal of Primary Health Year: 2022 Document Type: Article

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Collection: Databases of international organizations Database: EMBASE Type of study: Experimental Studies Language: English Journal: Australian Journal of Primary Health Year: 2022 Document Type: Article