The transition from child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) to adult mental health services (AMHS) is a time of significant change for youth and their families. The transition process is widely recognized as a problematic health systems hurdle and little is known about the factors necessary to implement successful transition programs or assess the continuity of care youth receive. An initial scoping review concluded there is no consensus among experts as to which indicators are important and feasible in the evaluation of programs to improve continuity of between services, nor authentic engagement of youth and caregivers in the development of indicators.
Our Study
This Delphi study will engage the expertise of youth, caregivers and service providers from across Canada in order to identify the core components of successful transitions from child to adult mental health services using a Delphi methodology. Delphi’s are online surveys designed to achieve consensus over multiple rounds of surveys on an important issue. Delphi’s have been used increasingly in mental health research and can be used to ensure that the priorities of all participants, including youth and their families, are equally reflected.
The results of an initial scoping review will be analyzed, and common indicators will be selected to determine the initial Delphi survey items and derived concepts that are written into items where needed. Participants will complete two rounds of online surveys, with feedback from Round 1 used to update survey items between rounds. All research activities will be informed by ongoing youth engagement meetings and the oversight of an Expert Advisory Committee (EAC).
This study aims to develop a valid, operational definition of a successful transition from child to adult mental health services, and identify key process and outcome indicators that can be used to predict successful transitions. The meaningful engagement of stakeholders, including youth and caregivers, will increase the validity of the final core components in care settings. These core components can ultimately be used to inform the development and evaluation of youth mental health transition programs across diverse service contexts.
Read our findings from this Delphi study.
Read our initial scoping review on youth mental health service transition indicators.
Learn more about Delphi studies by watching our introductory video, developed by our youth partners.
Our Partners
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Our Funders
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