Youth offending teams: a grounded theory of the barriers and facilitators to young people seeking help from mental health services

Young people within the youth justice system experience three times higher rates of mental health problems than the general youth population yet are one of the least likely groups to seek help. Very little theory or research is available within this population to explain these high rates of unmet need.

The study aimed to develop a theory about the barriers and facilitators that Youth Offending Team workers experience when supporting young people to access mental health services. Eleven semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants; eight Youth Offending Team workers, two young people and a mental health worker. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim before being analyzed using “grounded theory”. This method was chosen to allow the in-depth exploration of participants experiences and the development of theory within an under-researched area. Youth Offending Team workers appeared to play a crucial role in supporting a young person’s help-seeking from mental health services. A preliminary model was developed which demonstrated the complex relationships between six identified factors which influenced this role.

Youth Offending Team workers would benefit from more support, training and recognition of the key role they play in supporting young people to become ready for a referral to mental health services. Mental health services could be well placed to provide this. Clinical implications are discussed. Further research is needed to develop our understanding of what influenced the help-seeking of this vulnerable population.