title: Facilitating access to effective and appropriate care for youth with mild to moderate mental health concerns in new zealand.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Youth with mild-moderate mental health concerns often go unrecognized, and find access to and the navigation of support services difficult.
  
  
  METHODS
  A quasi-experimental pre-/postintervention design was used to explore the impact of facilitated access to free counseling support using the following outcome measures: Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), Substance Abuse Choices Scale (SACS), Children's Global Assessment Scale (C-GAS), alongside consumer feedback questionnaires.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 581 culturally diverse youth aged 10-24 completed the intervention. Those who completed reported significant improvements in global social and psychiatric functioning measured by C-GAS (p < .001); reduced risk of clinically significant mental health concerns measured by SDQ (p < .001); and reductions in the use and impact of drugs/alcohol measured by SACS (p < .001). Participants and their families/whānau reported that the interventions were safe and appropriate, with perceived increased skill development around coping and communication.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This intervention appears to be an effective and acceptable strategy, particularly for Māori youth and those from lower socioeconomic groups, to reduce mild to moderate mental health symptoms and concerns. This approach could be replicated by other communities wishing to reduce mental health burden for youth by facilitating access to free, culturally appropriate, and accessible counseling via a multidisciplinary and collaborative triage approach.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Terryann Coralie
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: Elizabeth Anne
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kekus
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Newman
authors.forename: Preekesh Suresh
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Theresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fleming
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Robinson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003376:Counseling / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000592:standards*; D009520:New Zealand; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Adolescent; healthcare quality access and evaluation; indigenous population; minority health; primary mental health; socioeconomic factors