title: Adolescents' and parents' views of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in Ireland.
abstract: Service user involvement is essential for quality care in the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). This study was conducted to explore adolescents' and parents' experiences of CAMHS in relation to accessibility, approachability and appropriateness. This study used a descriptive qualitative design, and focus groups and single interviews were conducted with adolescents (n = 15) and parents (n = 32) from three mental health clinics. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Accessing mental health services was a challenging experience for many parents and adolescents due to knowledge deficit, lack of information and limited availability of specialist services. Some parents and adolescents reported positive experiences while others reported negative experiences. They expressed a need for more information, involvement in decision making, flexible scheduling of appointments, school support and parent support groups. The nature and quality of the relationship with staff was critical to positive experience with the service; therefore, frequent changes of medical staff was disruptive. Mental health nurses can play a vital role in ensuring continuity, assessing adolescents' participation preferences and advocating for their information needs with other members of the interdisciplinary team.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing and Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Coyne
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Bedfordshire, Luton, UK.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: McNamara
authors.affiliation: CAMHS North Lee East, Health Service South, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Healy
authors.affiliation: Suffolk Family Focus, West Suffolk House, Bury St Edmunds, UK.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gower
authors.affiliation: Child and Family Consultation Services, Raphael House, Romford, UK.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sarkar
authors.affiliation: Lucena Clinic, St John of God's Services, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: McNicholas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016497:Adolescent Health Services / Q000592:standards*; D000328:Adult; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000592:standards*; D010290:Parents; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000592:standards*
keywords: adolescence; mental health; parents; qualitative methodology; services; user participation