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Background: Unaccompanied refugee minors present with disproportionately high prevalence of emotional and psychological morbidities. However, their utilization of mental health services has been shown to be significantly poorer than the indigenous population of the country they seek asylum in. Despite this, there is limited research exploring their perspectives on the barriers they face. Aims: This research aims to understand unaccompanied refugee minors' and their carers' perceptions of the barriers to utilize mental health services and to explore issues perceived to be related to poor engagement with services. Methods: Semi-structured interviews with 15 unaccompanied refugee minors and their carers were conducted. This was to elicit their views, perceptions and beliefs based on their experience of receiving treatment from a specialist mental health service in the UK. Results: Thematic analysis was used and the findings were categorised into two broad themes; the participants' perceptions of the intervention and perceptions of the professionals. Salient aspects of these are discussed. Conclusions: The findings have potential to stimulate further research into gaining a better understanding of the barriers these young people face in accessing help, and may contribute to developing services that are more efficient in engaging this vulnerable group and meeting their specific needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Children in the UK care system often face multiple disadvantages in terms of health, education and future employment. This is especially true of mental health where they present with greater mental health needs than other children. Although transition from care - the process of leaving the local authority as a child-in-care to independence - is a key juncture for young people, it is often experienced negatively with inconsistency in care and exacerbation of existing mental illness. Those receiving support from child and adolescent mental health services ( CAMHS), often experience an additional, concurrent transfer to adult services ( AMHS), which are guided by different service models which can create a care gap between services. Method This qualitative study explored care-leavers' experiences of mental illness, and transition in social care and mental health services. Twelve care-leavers with mental health needs were interviewed and data analysed using framework analysis. Results Sixteen individual themes were grouped into four superordinate themes: overarching attitudes towards the care journey, experience of social care, experience of mental health services and recommendations. Conclusions Existing social care and mental health teams can improve the care of care-leavers navigating multiple personal, practical and service transitions. Recommendations include effective Pathway Planning, multiagency coordination, and stating who is responsible for mental health care and its coordination. Participants asked that youth mental health services span the social care transition; and provide continuity of mental health provision when care-leavers are at risk of feeling abandoned and isolated, suffering deteriorating mental health and struggling to establish new relationships with professionals. Young people say that the key to successful transition and achieving independence is maintaining trust and support from services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Unaccompanied refugee adolescents are a small but clinically significant group. This group is vulnerable with physical and psychiatric needs which are often not met. There are several barriers to providing care for this group, originating with the refugees but also due to service provision. Aims: The aim of this research is to appreciate the views and perceptions that unaccompanied minors hold about mental health and services. Method: Fifteen unaccompanied adolescents engaged with mental health services were interviewed, and thematic analysis was employed to explore relevant issues. Discussion: Their views reflected a range of opinions on mental health and the treatments they received, but many held negative attitudes toward mental health and had a lack of trust in services. This could be explained by their descriptions of their experiences within their home country of psychiatric care, their experiences of being a refugee/asylum-seeker or cultural differences. Conclusion: We argue it is important to engage this group in the development of policy and practice in child mental health, and in developing services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]