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Cited by 167Mental Health Treatment and AccessPsychiatric care and mental health servicesPsychology and Mental Health

‘You’re on the waiting list’: An interpretive phenomenological analysis of young adults’ experiences of waiting lists within mental health services in the UK

Open access
Punton, Georgia, Dodd, Alyson L., McNeill, Andrew·2022·PLOS ONE
DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0265542PMC PMC8932552
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Abstract

Waiting lists in mental health services are currently considered too long. Lengthy waits of up to 18 weeks are commonly reported in the UK. Waiting lists have long been associated with a variety of negative psychological responses, however there is little understanding behind young adults’ personal experiences of such delays within mental health services. The current study aimed to explore young adults’ experiences of waiting lists in mental healthcare in the UK. Seven young adults were interviewed in the current study (aged 19–22). Interpretive phenomenological analysis was utilised to explore participant accounts. Three super-ordinate themes were generated: Reliance on Alternative Methods of Support; Inability to Function Sufficiently; and Emergence of Negative Beliefs, Emotions and Thoughts. Participants primarily reported a variety of negative psychological and behavioural consequences associated with waiting lists in mental health services, as well as exacerbated existing physical and psychological health issues. In accordance with the limited number of previous studies, waiting lists are considered by patients to be barriers to mental health support and intervention. Future direction is advised.

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  • Our study aligns with existing research evidence that mindfulness is an effective and acceptable alternative or supplement to traditional treatments for stress, anxiety, and depression.

    “Our study aligns with existing research evidence that mindfulness is an effective and acceptable alternative or supplement to traditional treatments for stress, anxiety, and depression [16, 19, 41]”

    From Exploring patient experiences with a mindfulness course in a general practice setting: a qualitative study. (2025) · cites this paper as [41]

    The Findings section, under “Reliance on alternative methods of support” (page unavailable), says some participants used mindfulness or meditation while awaiting care and describes these techniques as effective for managing stress and anxiety independently. It does not establish their acceptability or effectiveness for depression, or assess them as alternatives or supplements to traditional treatments. (LLM, conf=0.87)

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  • Financial implications and limited access to services are an ongoing issue in the United Kingdom particularly for younger generations in need of psychological support.

    “financial implications and limited access to services are noted across populations and constitute an ongoing issue in the United Kingdom particularly for younger generations in need of psychological support (Punton et al., 2022).”

    From Therapeutic games to reduce anxiety and depression in young people: A systematic review and exploratory meta‐analysis of their use and effectiveness. (2024) · cites this paper as Punton et al., 2022

    The Introduction describes long waits for psychological therapies in UK child, adolescent and adult services. The Findings section, “Reliance on alternative methods of support,” reports that private therapy became unaffordable for a young adult participant and notes that it can be especially costly for young adults. The paper does not establish that these financial implications occur across populations; its limitations section says the study participants were all students and calls for research with other groups. No page numbers were provided in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.83)

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2 of the 73 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. [59]Zimmer-Gembeck MJ, Skinner EA. The development of coping: Implications for psychopathology and resilience. Developmental psychopathology: Risk, resilience, and intervention, Vol 4, 3rd ed. Hoboken, NJ, US: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.; 2016. pp. 485– 545.

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Authors
Punton, G., Dodd, A. L., & McNeill, A.
Affiliations
Northumbria University (GB)
Corresponding author
Punton, Georgia
ORCID
Venue
PLOS ONE
Publisher
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Published
2022-03-18
Volume
17
Issue
3
Pages
e0265542
ISSN
1932-6203 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1371/journal.pone.0265542
PMC
PMC8932552
OpenAlex
W4220983246
Cited by
167
References
73
Citations by year
2026: 50 · 2025: 52 · 2024: 34 · 2023: 27 · 2022: 4
FWCI
27.64
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • PLoS ONE (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Northumbria Research Link (Northumbria University) (acceptedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • Durham Research Online (Durham University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychiatric care and mental health services
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychology and Mental Health
Keywords
waiting lists, mental health services, young adults, patient experience, treatment delay, psychological impact, barriers to mental health care, access to mental health care
MeSH terms
United Kingdom, Humans, Mental Health, Mental Health Services, Waiting Lists, Young Adult

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