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‘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 accessAbstract
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 [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]
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“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).”
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Metadata
- Authors
- Punton, G., Dodd, A. L., & McNeill, A.
- Affiliations
- Northumbria University (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Punton, Georgia
- Venue
- PLOS ONE
- Publisher
- Public Library of Science (PLoS)
- Published
- 2022-03-18
- Volume
- 17
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- e0265542
- ISSN
- 1932-6203 (ISSN-L)
- 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
- gold
- doi.org
- 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
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › 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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