title: Transfers and transitions between child and adult mental health services.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Transfer of care from one healthcare provider to another is often understood as a suboptimal version of the process of transition.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To separate and evaluate concepts of transfer and transition between child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) and adult mental health services (AMHS).
  
  
  METHODS
  In a retrospective case-note survey of young people reaching the upper age boundary at six English CAMHS, optimal transition was evaluated using four criteria: continuity of care, parallel care, a transition planning meeting and information transfer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 154 cases, 76 transferred to AMHS. Failure to transfer resulted mainly from non-referral by CAMHS (n = 12) and refusal by service users (n = 12) rather than refusal by AMHS (n = 7). Four cases met all criteria for optimal transition, 13 met none; continuity of care (n = 63) was met most often.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Transfer was common but good transition rare. Reasons for failure to transfer differ from barriers to transition. Transfer should be investigated alongside transition in research and service development.
authors.affiliation: University of Warwick, Warwick Medical School, Coventry, UK. moli.paul@warwick.ac.uk
authors.forename: Moli
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paul
authors.forename: Tamsin
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ford
authors.forename: Tami
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kramer
authors.forename: Zoebia
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Islam
authors.forename: Kath
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Harley
authors.forename: Swaran P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Singh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016497:Adolescent Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013222:State Medicine; D060305:Transition to Adult Care / Q000458:organization & administration*