The service evaluation explores the transition experience from child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) to adult mental health services (AMHS).
Many reports about the transition experience of young people from CAMHS to AMHS are rated negatively. The rationale is to understand what works and, more crucially, what does not work at the point of transition and use this feedback to improve the experience for future patients.
The service evaluation will be an online survey that combines quantitative and qualitative components. Eleven young people aged 18-21 participated in the service evaluation by answering eight closed and three open-ended questions.
Young people wanted CAMHS and AMHS to offer adequate therapeutic support during the transition and assign a key worker early. Young people would like to be involved in the transition process and for the services to consider their needs when making decisions. They wanted the transition process to be commenced early and better joint coordination between the services. Finally, young people asked for services to provide information about the transition process and explain the differences between CAMHS and AMHS.
Most participants were unprepared for the transition and felt they had not been provided with the necessary information were not involved in the decision-making. Transition is an important milestone, and failure to manage this critical juncture can lead to a high proportion of young people being lost to services with subsequent periods of untreated illness and increased crisis presentations.
This dissertation recommends that CAMHS and AMHS should collaboratively develop transition care plans, including discharge arrangements, medical reviews, and coordination of any ongoing therapeutic interventions to avoid gaps in transition. In addition, CAMHS and AMHS should jointly produce a helpful guide to transition for the young people and their parents and carers to help them transition with confidence.
Table of Contents
1. Background
2. Focus of the service evaluation
3. The overall aim of the service evaluation and individual objectives
4. Methods of evaluation
5. Value of the service evaluation
6. Methodology
7. Analysis
8. Participant characteristics
9. Data analysis
10. Findings
10.1 Support during transition
10.1.1 Therapeutic support
10.1.2 Keyworker
10.2 Patient Involvement
10.2.1 Shared decision making
10.3 Commence Transition early
10.3.1 Joint Coordination between Services
10.4 Transitioning Process and Preparation
10.4.1 Clarifying the difference between services
11. Limitations, Recommendations and Conclusion
11.1 Introduction
11.2 Limitations
11.3 Objective 1: Identify factors that hinder the effective transition from CAMHS to AMHS.
11.4 Objective 2: Evaluate the feedback critically from the participants
11.5 Objective 3: Explore participants' views on transition, including barriers to effective transition.
11.6 Recommendations for Practice: Support during transition
11.7 Allocation of Keyworker
11.8 Shared decision making
11.9 Commence transition early
11.10 Transition Process and Preparation
11.11 Conclusion
Research Objectives and Focus
This dissertation aims to explore the transition experience of young people moving from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) to Adult Mental Health Services (AMHS) to identify systemic barriers and improve future service provision.
- Identifying factors that hinder effective transition between services.
- Critically evaluating user feedback regarding the transition process.
- Exploring participants' views on barriers to effective service continuity.
- Formulating actionable recommendations for clinical and organizational practice.
Excerpt from the Book
Support during transition
This superordinate theme captures the participants' frustration due to the lack of support during the transition between the services. Participants thought transition should be considered complete when they started receiving support in adult services. In contrast, CAMHS felt the process was completed once the adult services accepted the referral and closed the case. The gap between a referral being accepted and the time it took to get support was when participants felt left in limbo. Superordinate Theme 1 had two Subordinate Themes, therapeutic support and key worker.
Eleven participants responded to question 6, which asked how prepared they for the transition were. The average rating was 34 out of 100. Five participants reported being prepared (45.5 per cent), and 6 were not (54.5 per cent). The highest score was 86 out of 100 by participants #9, and the least was 0 by participants #1 and #6. The majority of the participants were not prepared for the transition process.
Summary of Chapters
Background: This chapter contextualizes the challenges young people face when transitioning between mental health services, highlighting the risks of disengagement.
Focus of the service evaluation: This section details the rationale for focusing on user perspectives to improve transition outcomes and minimize health risks.
The overall aim of the service evaluation and individual objectives: Outlines the specific goals of the research, focusing on identifying barriers and gathering user feedback.
Methods of evaluation: Explains the choice of an online mixed-methods survey to capture quantitative ratings and qualitative lived experiences.
Value of the service evaluation: Discusses the importance of service evaluations for ensuring seamless, client-centred care transitions.
Methodology: Details the research design, including the epistemological stance and the use of thematic analysis to process participant data.
Analysis: Describes the systematic approach to analyzing participant transcripts and identifying emergent themes.
Participant characteristics: Provides a demographic overview of the 11 individuals who participated in the survey.
Data analysis: Explains the application of thematic analysis to code patterns and interpret participant experiences.
Findings: Presents the primary results categorized into four superordinate themes: support, patient involvement, early commencement, and process preparation.
Limitations, Recommendations and Conclusion: Discusses the research constraints, offers specific practice-based recommendations, and summarizes the importance of patient-centred transitions.
Keywords
Transition, young people, experience, CAMHS, AMHS, mental health, service evaluation, keyworker, therapeutic support, shared decision making, patient involvement, continuity of care.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this dissertation?
The research focuses on the transition experience of young people moving from child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) to adult mental health services (AMHS).
What are the central themes identified in the study?
The central themes include the lack of support during transition, the need for patient involvement in decision-making, the necessity of early intervention, and the importance of preparation and clear communication.
What is the core research goal?
The goal is to identify factors that hinder an effective transition and to provide recommendations to improve the experience for future service users.
Which methodology was employed?
The study uses a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative data from an online survey with qualitative thematic analysis of open-ended responses.
What is covered in the findings section?
The findings discuss the narrative of the survey results, focusing on participant frustrations and the disconnect between different service philosophies.
Which keywords best describe the paper?
Key terms include Transition, CAMHS, AMHS, Service Evaluation, Continuity of Care, and Patient Involvement.
How did COVID-19 impact the research?
COVID-19 restrictions necessitated the use of an online survey instead of face-to-face interviews, which influenced the data collection process.
Why is the "keyworker" role considered important by participants?
Participants highlighted that the absence of a designated keyworker often led to feelings of abandonment and left them without a point of contact during the transition period.
What is the main difference between CAMHS and AMHS approaches according to participants?
Participants noted that CAMHS is more family-oriented and holistic, whereas AMHS tends to be more diagnosis-led and individual-focused.
What does the author recommend for improving future transitions?
The author recommends holding monthly meetings between services, nominating "transition champions," and involving the young person in all care planning decisions.
- Citation du texte
- Knowledge Nyamaradzo (Auteur), 2022, Exploring transition experience from CAMHS to Adult Mental Health Services, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1291879
