Inequitable access to mental healthcare for socially excluded adolescents.

BACKGROUND

Adolescence is a critical period for mental health and social exclusion, a key social determinant of mental health. Early intervention approaches are key to mitigating the impact of mental ill-health during adolescence, however social exclusion can create additional barriers to accessing care.

AIM

We aimed to better understand help-seeking experiences of adolescents facing co-occurring social exclusion and mental ill-health, including sources of support, barriers and preferences for service provision.

METHOD

Cross-sectional data were analysed, from the 2022 Mission Australia

RESULTS

A total of 9,743 young people reported having needed mental health support, yet only 58.1% reportedly sought support (

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights the additional needs and challenges faced by adolescents dealing with both social exclusion and mental ill-health. With greater barriers to help-seeking, concerted efforts are needed to reduce stigma, improve mental health literacy and increase access to trusted information sources. Further initiatives should focus on structural factors that socially exclude young people and exacerbate inequitable access to mental healthcare.