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Background: It is estimated that 1.2 million Canadian youth are affected by mental health and/or addiction issues; yet only a small proportion of young people receive appropriate and specialized treatment. Given caregivers are often tasked with navigating the complex mental health and/or addiction care systems for their youth, it is important to identify and understand the characteristics, such as those related to youth and their families, that are associated with caregivers' perceived barriers to accessing youth mental health and/or addiction services. Objective: The objective of this crosssectional survey study was to examine the unique predictors of caregivers' perceived barriers to accessing youth mental health and/or addiction services. Method: Participants were 259 caregivers of at least one youth, aged 4 to 29 years (Mage = 16.7, SD = 5.3) with mental health and/or addiction issues in Ontario, Canada identified from a community-based online survey. Results: Regression results showed that caregivers' demographics (i.e., living in a rural area, having an education level of college/university degree or higher), youth having concurrent issues, and service use patterns (i.e., currently accessing and/or seeking services) significantly predicted a higher level of barriers to accessing mental health and/or addiction services. Conclusion: In order to improve access to care for youth with mental health and/or addiction issues, understanding the predictors of barriers to accessing appropriate services is an important step in making services more accessible for youth and families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Caregivers experience significant strains as a result of navigating the complex mental health and/or addiction (MHA) system for their youth with MHA issues. We examined the characteristics of Ontario families with youth with MHA issues and their service needs. Methods: A cross-sectional survey study investigated the characteristics and service needs of families with youth with MHA issues across the province of Ontario, Canada. A total of 840 caregivers were recruited. Results: 259 participants (Mage = 45.94, SD = 7.11) identified as caregiving for at least one youth with MHA issues. The majority of the participants were female (70.7%), married (73.4%), and completed at least some college/Bachelor degree (59.1%). The mean age of youth was 16.72 years (SD = 5.33) and the most frequently reported diagnoses were Depression (30.1%), ADHD (27.8%) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (21.2%). Regression results demonstrated that presently accessing services, presently seeking services, and higher levels of barriers MHA services were significantly predictive of identifying navigation as helpful for finding appropriate MHA services (2(7) = 28.69, p < .001, Nagelkerke R2 = .16). Furthermore, presently accessing services was significantly predictive of identifying case management as helpful (2(7) = 29.59, p < .001, Nagelkerke R2 = .156), and of identifying a primary healthcare provider as helpful (2(7) = 38.75, p < .001, Nagelkerke R2 = .197) for finding appropriate MHA services. Conclusion: Identifying the nature and extent of youth MHA issues, service needs, and family preferences can inform the development of services that address families' needs and lend vital support for accessing services within a complex system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]