Marija Maric’s (Developmental Psychopathology) question:
Dear Bianca,
We share the same passion for the conduct of youth intervention research. Can you tell us what the newest developments are in this area and why is it now – more than ever – the right moment to pay extensive attention to research and clinical practice in youth mental health?
Marija
Bianca Boyer’s (Developmental Psychology) answer:
Dear Marija,
Thank you for this question. In my opinion, investing in youth is always crucial as they are the future and any neglect in their mental health care will have long-lasting impacts on themselves, their families -and eventually- society. However, the years and years of financial cutbacks in mental healthcare in combination with the pandemic have made the situation even more pressing. For many children the mental consequences of the pandemic are still ongoing, leaving many families in need of support. Specialist mental health care is in high demand, with long waiting lists -sometimes over a year-, leading to inadequate support for those in need. An impressive UK study showed that prompt mental health care within 6 weeks leads to improvement, but delayed care decreases the chances of success (Clark et al., 2018). So, it’s crucial to provide help to youth when they signal a need for assistance. The current state of mental health care in the Netherlands is a real cause for concern and highlights the importance of focusing on youth care right now.
Thankfully, there are positive developments in youth mental healthcare. Technology-based interventions, such as online therapy and mobile apps, are being increasingly used to provide mental health support to young people, making it accessible and convenient for those in remote or underserved communities. There is a greater emphasis on early intervention, as research has shown that early treatment can improve outcomes and prevent the development of more serious mental health conditions in later life (Groenman et al., 2022). Increasing focus is being placed on addressing transdiagnostic concerns like sleep, self-esteem, and developing healthy interpersonal relations and personality structures, rather than solely treating specific clinical disorders. Another trend is exploring the efficiency of treatments, such as considering if three sessions of treatment are just as effective as twelve. The combination of treatment optimization, increasing treatment accessibility, with prioritizing mental health care for children on the political agenda, is the key to the improvement of mental healthcare and a bright future for our youth.
Bianca
Bianca Boyer’s question is for Henk Jan Conradi (Clinical Psychology):
Dear Henk Jan Conradi,
An interesting part of your work is the effectiveness of couples therapy and the working mechanisms thereof. Could you tell us what is the current state of research on conflict handling in couples and can you give the readers some practical advice on how to handle conflicts with their spouse based on your studies?
Bianca
References
– Clark, D.M., et al. (2018). Transparency about the outcomes of mental health services (IAPT approach): an analysis of public data. The Lancet, 391, 679-686. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32133-5.
– Groenman et al. (2022). An Individual Participant Data Meta-analysis: Behavioral Treatments for Children and Adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 61(2), 144-158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2021.02.024.
Marija Maric’s (Developmental Psychopathology) question:
Dear Bianca,
We share the same passion for the conduct of youth intervention research. Can you tell us what the newest developments are in this area and why is it now – more than ever – the right moment to pay extensive attention to research and clinical practice in youth mental health?
Marija
Bianca Boyer’s (Developmental Psychology) answer:
Dear Marija,
Thank you for this question. In my opinion, investing in youth is always crucial as they are the future and any neglect in their mental health care will have long-lasting impacts on themselves, their families -and eventually- society. However, the years and years of financial cutbacks in mental healthcare in combination with the pandemic have made the situation even more pressing. For many children the mental consequences of the pandemic are still ongoing, leaving many families in need of support. Specialist mental health care is in high demand, with long waiting lists -sometimes over a year-, leading to inadequate support for those in need. An impressive UK study showed that prompt mental health care within 6 weeks leads to improvement, but delayed care decreases the chances of success (Clark et al., 2018). So, it’s crucial to provide help to youth when they signal a need for assistance. The current state of mental health care in the Netherlands is a real cause for concern and highlights the importance of focusing on youth care right now.
Thankfully, there are positive developments in youth mental healthcare. Technology-based interventions, such as online therapy and mobile apps, are being increasingly used to provide mental health support to young people, making it accessible and convenient for those in remote or underserved communities. There is a greater emphasis on early intervention, as research has shown that early treatment can improve outcomes and prevent the development of more serious mental health conditions in later life (Groenman et al., 2022). Increasing focus is being placed on addressing transdiagnostic concerns like sleep, self-esteem, and developing healthy interpersonal relations and personality structures, rather than solely treating specific clinical disorders. Another trend is exploring the efficiency of treatments, such as considering if three sessions of treatment are just as effective as twelve. The combination of treatment optimization, increasing treatment accessibility, with prioritizing mental health care for children on the political agenda, is the key to the improvement of mental healthcare and a bright future for our youth.
Bianca
Bianca Boyer’s question is for Henk Jan Conradi (Clinical Psychology):
Dear Henk Jan Conradi,
An interesting part of your work is the effectiveness of couples therapy and the working mechanisms thereof. Could you tell us what is the current state of research on conflict handling in couples and can you give the readers some practical advice on how to handle conflicts with their spouse based on your studies?
Bianca
