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Cited by 5Mental Health Treatment and AccessPsychology and Mental HealthChild and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development

“I Felt Like There Was Something Wrong in My Brain”: Growing Up with Trauma–How Young People Conceptualise, Self-Manage and Seek Help for Mental Health Problems

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Lynch, Louise, Moorhead, Anne, Long, Maggie, Steele, Isobel Hawthorne·2025·Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma
DOI 10.1007/s40653-024-00650-5PMC PMC11910494
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Abstract

Abstract Background Youth mental health is an important global healthcare topic and early interventions that are timely and evidence-based to support young people can increase quality of life and lower deaths by suicide. Research exploring young people’s mental health experiences and how they manage can further understanding into help-seeking processes. Objective This study aimed to explore young people’s experiences of living with and managing mental health problems and how this impacts professional help-seeking. Methods Eighteen young people were recruited, aged 16–25 years, with experiences of help-seeking to services for mental health problems (N = 18). Data were analysed using Constructivist Grounded Theory methods (Charmaz, Constructing grounded theory, 2014). Findings The findings were presented across three sub-categories: (1) “Early experiences”; (2) “Conceptualising mental health” and (3) “Managing mental health”. Findings expand understanding on the resource pressures that young people experience whilst managing persistent mental distress emanating from early experiences of trauma, life stressors, and developmental tasks. Findings also report lived experiences of pain, loneliness and stigma, and how individual conceptualisations of mental health are informed. The preference for self-reliance can be rooted in developmental needs or learned behaviours and how this impacts self-management and help seeking is discussed. Conclusion Through an enhanced understanding about how young people experience mental distress, developmental pressure points, marginalisation and stigma, mental health providers can prioritise individualised approaches to healthcare that can both respect a young person’s individual conceptualizations and positively leverage self-management strategies, which can contribute positively to young people’s development, quality of life, and healthcare outcomes.

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Authors
Lynch, L., Moorhead, A., Long, M., & Steele, I. H.
Affiliations
  • University of Ulster (GB)
  • Queen's University Belfast (GB)
Corresponding author
Lynch, Louise
ORCID
Venue
Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2024-09-09
Volume
18
Issue
1
Pages
103-125
ISSN
  • 1936-1521 (ISSN-L)
  • 1936-153X
DOI
10.1007/s40653-024-00650-5
PMC
PMC11910494
OpenAlex
W4402376939
Cited by
5
References
115
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 4
FWCI
2.37
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Ulster University Research Portal (Ulster University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychology and Mental Health
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
Keywords
youth mental health, childhood trauma, help-seeking, self-management, stigma, loneliness, pain, developmental tasks, life events, self-reliance, early intervention

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