Widening the scope of mental health with a ‘youth centred’ approach: a qualitative study involving health care professionals in Sweden’s youth clinics

ABSTRACT

Purpose

The aim of this study was to explore how health care providers at youth clinics (YCs) in Sweden engage with, focus on, and navigate across the mental health youth space, while upholding the core bedrock principle of “youth-centeredness”.

Methods

Qualitative interviews were conducted with 21 health care professionals working in three YCs located in three different regions of Sweden. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis informed by the work of Braun and Clarke.

Results

The three themes were: 1) “youth mission—at the core of the YCs” work and challenged by a stronger involvement in mental ill health’; 2) “YCs” unique and complementary role in the youth mental health system: a holistic perspective, team work, and a focus on normalization’, and 3) “Caught between a rock and a hard place: to treat at a care level that is not optimal for the young users” needs or to refer within an unreliable system’.

Conclusion

This study reflects the individuality and key features of YCs, their widening roles within the mental health sphere, and the challenges faced in maintaining and expanding the characteristic “youth-centred” approach while expanding their work with mental health.

KEYWORDS:

• Youth mental health
• youth-centredness
• qualitative
• reflexive thematic analysis
• interviews
• youth clinic

Acknowledgments

We want to thank all participants in this study. We thank the staff from the Public Health Agency of Sweden (Karin Liljeberg, Karin Guldbrandsson, Marjan Vaez and Anna-Karin Eriksson) for fruitful discussions related to this paper.

Data availability statement

The dataset analysed during the current study is not publicly available because it contains personal information, but it is available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

Open access funding provided by Umea University. This work was supported by the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working life and Welfare [Forte] under grant number 2018–00364, and the Public Health Agency of Sweden.

Notes on contributors

Isabel Goicolea

Isabel Goicolea is professor in public health. She conducts research on youth health, with a focus on how the health systems’ approaches youth and their needs.

Linda Richter Sundberg

Linda Richter Sundberg is associate professor and clinical psychologist. Her research concerns child and youth mental health.

Maria Wiklund

Maria Wiklund is associate professor (docent) and physiotherapist. Her research concerns youth mental health, gender, embodiment, and interventions.

Anne Gotfredsen

Anne Gotfredsen is a postdoctoral researcher. She conducts research on young people, leisure, civic engagement and health.

Monica Christianson

Monica Christianson is associate professor and midwife with extensive clinical experiences of working at a youth clinic. She is a gender researcher in sexual and reproductive health.