The average wait time for the first session of treatment in Australia could be further harming the mental health of teens, a study has found, prompting calls to introduce national standards.
The study, published in BMJ Open, is based on a survey of 375 Australians aged 13–17 years. Professor Bridianne O'Dea is one of the lead researchers, based at the Black Dog Institute, UNSW Sydney and Flinders University Institute for Mental Health and Wellbeing. She says the average wait time for teens to see a treatment provider for anxiety and depression is 99.6 days – highlighting a pressing need for systemic reform in mental health service delivery for young Australians.
"We are now in the midst of a crisis where the demand for youth mental health care has increased rapidly in the past two decades," Prof. O'Dea says.
She says just qualifying for a referral to a psychologist or psychiatrist indicates that the young person is experiencing mental distress – so waiting more than three months for care is extremely concerning.
"We have more and more young people seeking help for mental health problems in Australia. The first line of treatment is psychological therapy. There is a huge demand for it and we do not have the number of clinicians required to meet that demand."
When the researchers asked young people in the study about their coping methods during the wait period, many reported they had turned to maladaptive strategies. These included increased social withdrawal and risky behaviours such as self-harm and substance use.
Lead author Dr Mirjana Subotic-Kerry is a provisional psychologist based at the Black Dog Institute and UNSW Medicine & Health. She says wait times are a particularly critical period of help-seeking.
"This is because symptoms are acute, but treatment hasn't yet begun," Dr Subotic-Kerry says.
"Young people reported that they experienced a high level of psychological distress during this period. They felt a strong sense of abandonment and a loss of hope," she says.
"In an effort to manage or alleviate their distress, some teens were engaging in unhelpful behaviours that can have both short- and long-term negative outcomes."
A bright spark
Nearly 40% of teens surveyed indicated they received little to no support while waiting – but some also demonstrated resilience during this time.
"Many young people also adopted healthy coping behaviours during the wait time," Dr Subotic-Kerry says.
"They were engaging with informal support, such as seeking out information or reaching out to their family and friends. Others found comfort in physical activity, journalling, or simply finding ways to keep themselves occupied and mentally engaged while they waited."
"This shows us that young people can self-manage and engage in healthy coping behaviours and find strength during the wait time."
However, she says, the current system still fails to provide critical, timely support.
Easing the burden of wait times
When asked how their waiting experience could be improved, approximately 50% of the young people surveyed said better communication and regular check-ins from service providers could help alleviate their distress.
Simple yet effective strategies based on more frequent and transparent communication could be easily implemented during this critical waiting period, says Dr Subotic-Kerry.
"Interestingly, young people didn't propose complex structural systems or interventions during the wait time," she says.
"They had really simple suggestions, such as increasing the amount of contact they received, and receiving information and communication about the wait time.
"Essentially, they just wanted more frequent contact from their providers."
Lifting the standard
Prof. O'Dea says reducing wait times should be a priority. She calls for the introduction of national wait time benchmarks – evidence-based goals, or standards, that define the appropriate time to wait for mental health treatment, with the aim of minimising risks to individuals' health.
"Governments introduced national standards for wait times in the UK and other countries," Prof. O'Dea says. "These are benchmarks around the acceptable wait that young people should experience when seeking mental health treatment."
Prof. O'Dea says this is a critical time in Australia, as the mental health crisis among younger generations intensifies. Providing greater transparency and accountability through the introduction of standards offers young people and their families the insight they need into the realities of service delivery and expected wait times.
"Our finding that young people are waiting a long time to access mental health services is not surprising," she says.
"Yet, while we can work with young people to improve their self-management, the time is right for Australia to seriously consider the use of national standards."
Key Facts:
Researchers are calling for urgent changes to mental health services in Australia after they found many teenagers were waiting more than three months for treatment.
