Barriers and enablers to meaningful youth participation in mental health research: qualitative interviews with youth mental health researchers
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Involving young people in co-designing and conducting youth mental health research is essential to ensure research is relevant and responsive to the needs of young people. Despite this, many barriers exist to meaningful involvement. AIMS: To explore the experiences, barriers and enablers to partnering with young people for mental health research. METHODS: Semi-structured, qualitative interviews were conducted with 19 researchers employed at a youth mental health research institute in Australia. Thematic analysis was used to analyse these data. RESULTS: How researchers conceptualise youth participation was related to how confident and competent they felt engaging with young people. Attitudes and beliefs about the impact of youth participation on research quality were related to emotional factors, such as feelings of anxiety or excitement. Whether researchers engaged in youth participation was affected by resources, culture and the structures that their organisation had in place. CONCLUSION: Researchers generally want to engage young people in their work, but several factors can hinder this. By understanding the challenges facing researchers, and drawing on the factors that encourage and support those already engaging with young people, a framework to support genuine and meaningful youth participation in mental health research can be developed.
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Among the included studies, researchers made links between engaging youth in research and increasing the relevance of research questions, health promotion and education, and intervention development.
“Among the included studies, researchers made links between engaging youth in research and increasing the relevance of research questions, 46 , 81 health promotion and education 27 , 34 , 48 , 50 , 78 , 82 , 83 and intervention development.”
From A systematic review of theories, models and frameworks used for youth engagement in health research (2024) · cites this paper as [81]
Making Youth Participation Genuine was a result of qualitative interviews with youth mental health researchers in Australia exploring individual and organizational factors that act as barriers and facilitators to youth engagement in mental health research.
“A second model called Making Youth Participation Genuine 81 was a result of qualitative interviews with youth mental health researchers in Australia exploring individual and organizational factors that act as barriers and facilitators to youth engagement in mental health research.”
From A systematic review of theories, models and frameworks used for youth engagement in health research (2024) · cites this paper as [81]
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A systematic review of theories, models and frameworks used for youth engagement in health research
Sanchez, S., Thorburn, R., Rea, M., Kaufman, P., Schwartz, R., Selby, P., & Chaiton, M. (2024) · Health Expectations · doi:10.1111/hex.13975 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
“Three models and frameworks from the United States, 34,49,82 two from Australia, 81,86 where, when, and why ’ framework.”
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Self-citation
- Authors
- Faithfull, S., Brophy, L., Pennell, K., & Simmons, M. B.
- Affiliations
- The University of Melbourne (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Simmons, Magenta B.
- Venue
- Journal of Mental Health
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2018-10-24
- Volume
- 28
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 56-63
- ISSN
- 0963-8237 (ISSN-L)
- 1360-0567
- OpenAlex
- W2898407128
- Cited by
- 86
- References
- 29
- Citations by year
- 2026: 10 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 18 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 3
- FWCI
- 8.05
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Mental Health (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Mental Health and Patient Involvement
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Children's Rights and Participation
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Participatory Visual Research Methods
- Keywords
- youth participation, co-design, barriers and facilitators, researcher attitudes, researcher confidence, research quality, organizational culture, research resources
- MeSH terms
- Attitude of Health Personnel, Australia, Female, Health Services Research, Humans, Male, Mental Health Services, Patient Participation, Research Personnel, Qualitative Research
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