Levels of satisfaction with children's respite services, parental coping and family functioning.

Little is known about how parents' experiences of respite services or 'short breaks' for a child with complex medical needs relate to family functioning and the manner in which parents cope. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between parents' satisfaction with short breaks, family functioning and parental coping and to determine whether these variables change over time. The sample included 32 families receiving short breaks. A repeated measures quantitative design was used, with data collected at baseline and 12 months. The main outcome variables were satisfaction with short breaks, family functioning and parental coping. At baseline, descriptive statistics showed positive levels of satisfaction with services and coping, while family functioning scores suggested more negative profiles. Also at baseline, significant negative correlations were identified between the age of the child receiving short breaks and certain approaches to parental coping. At Time 2 (n = 17, 73% of possible responses), satisfaction with services was significantly positively correlated with aspects of family functioning and coping. Using dependent t tests, no evidence was found of significant change overtime in satisfaction or family functioning for the sample who completed data collection at both time points. However, a significant decrease in use of certain coping approaches was found over time. While parents' satisfaction levels with short breaks were high across test occasions, there is need for service development aimed at providing interventions that are tailored to ameliorate tension within the family and promote active parental coping over time.

Performance of the CORE-10 and YP-CORE measures in a sample of youth engaging with a community mental health service.

This article assesses the performance and psychometric properties of two versions of the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation (CORE) measures that assess psychological distress: the Young Person's CORE (YP-CORE) for 11-16 year olds and the CORE-10 for those 17 or older. The sample comprised 1592 young people aged 12-25 who completed the YP-CORE and CORE-10 during their initial engagement with an early intervention service. Total and average scores were examined for both measures. Gender and age differences were evaluated using t-tests and analysis of variance. The factor structures were assessed with principal axis and confirmatory factor analyses. Multigroup confirmatory factor analyses were then employed to evaluate measurement invariance across age and gender. Analyses were supportive of the CORE measures as reliable instruments to assess distress in 12-25 year olds. Based upon eigenvalues in combination with the comparative fit index, the Tucker-Lewis Index, and the root-mean-square error of approximation, both measures were unidimensional. Analysis indicated the factor structure, loadings, item thresholds, and residuals were invariant across age and gender, although partial support for strict invariance was found for gender among 12-16 year olds. Results are compared to previous studies and discussed in the context of program planning, service delivery, and evaluation. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Youth engagement with an emerging Irish mental health early intervention programme (Jigsaw): participant characteristics and implications for service delivery.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The transition to adulthood represents a critical period which influences mental health problems, but access to and utilisation of mental health services by young people is poor. Jigsaw is a response to the challenge of transforming how young people access mental health support and attain positive outcomes. This article presents an overview of the characteristics of young people engaging with this service. METHOD: Data about young people who engage with Jigsaw are captured through an online system designed to record salient clinical, case management, service delivery, and outcome information. Participant characteristics are summarised to portray the young people who engaged with the service for the first time during 2013 (N = 2420). RESULTS: The majority of young people engaging with Jigsaw were female, aged 15-17 years, and were referred by their parents. Over half were in full-time education, although many 21-25-year-olds were unemployed. Young people presented with a range of difficulties which varied by age and gender. They reported high levels of distress, with age and gender having a significant impact on their well-being. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides emerging evidence to support the need for an early intervention component within the system of mental health care.