Mapping community-based youth mental health services in Tasmania, Australia

Melissa Savaglio; Marie Yap; Ash Vincent; Helen Skouteris

doi:10.1071/PY23074

RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)

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Mapping community-based youth mental health services in Tasmania, Australia

Melissa Savaglio ^A , Marie Yap ^B ^C , Ash Vincent ^D and Helen Skouteris ^A ^E ^*

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A Health and Social Care Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.

^B Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.

^C Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.

^D Baptcare, Hobart, Tas., Australia.

^E Warwick Business School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.

^* Correspondence to: helen.skouteris@monash.edu

Australian Journal of Primary Health 30, PY23074 https://doi.org/10.1071/PY23074

Submitted: 20 April 2023 Accepted: 15 February 2024 Published: 5 March 2024

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of La Trobe University. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)

Abstract

Background

Tasmania has the most rurally and remotely dispersed population of young people in Australia with high rates of youth experiencing mental ill health and socioeconomic disadvantage. Standard descriptions of mental healthcare provision are necessary for evidence-informed mental healthcare policy, planning and implementation. This systematic scoping study aimed to: (1) map and describe the characteristics of community-based youth mental health services (including substance-use) for young people in Tasmania, Australia and (2) identify gaps in service accessibility and provision.

Methods

A list of eligible services was developed through a systematic search and consultation with key stakeholders. Data were collected from a representative from each eligible service via an interview or online survey. A standardised framework was used to classify, describe and map services. Thematic analysis was used to analyse service providers’ perceived gaps to service access and provision.

Results

Twenty-eight community-based mental health services for youth were identified, predominantly located in the major city of Tasmania’s three service regions. Service gaps include the ‘missing middle’, lack of integrated supports and limited service capacity.

Conclusions

The findings highlight the limited availability, accessibility and capacity of youth mental health services across Tasmania. Recommendations focus on increasing accessibility of rural/regional supports, provision of assertive outreach, psychosocial support, integrated care and strengthening the rural mental health workforce. These findings may inform the (re)design/(re)development of community-based youth mental health services in Tasmania. The findings may also guide evidence-informed mental health service planning, decision-making, development and implementation of integrated models of youth mental health care across Australia.

Keywords: Australia, community-based support, community services, mental illness, qualitative, rural health, service mapping, Tasmania, youth mental health.

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