InvolveMENT – for adolescents’ mental health

Forty percent of Norwegian adolescents report mental health problems that affect their everyday life. Eight percent have been diagnosed with a mental health condition. Only half of those who struggle with mental health problems have been in touch with the healthcare services. Four out of ten drop out from treatment.

The InvolveMENT research project aims to contribute to improve the quality of the healthcare services in order to strengthen adolescents’ health and to prevent mental health conditions. To achieve this, we will use multiple methods in order to improve access to and quality of the healthcare services, both in primary and secondary care.

We carry out surveys and qualitative studies in order to learn about adolescents’ use of, experience with and perspectives on the healthcare service. These approaches are used to learn about teenagers’ experiences with the healthcare services, barriers and facilitators to service use, and how they can be actively involved in their own treatment. The research is carried out for and with Norwegian and other ethnic groups of adolescents.

Healthcare practitioners’ experiences and perspectives are also included. A systematic literature review is used to summarise research-based knowledge in the field of user involvement in adolescents’ mental health. We will develop an eHealth intervention (app) in order to support teenagers’ and to improve their access to healthcare services. We will also follow them up over several years in order to learn about any long-term effects of the implemented interventions.

Twelve adolescents and youths are actively involved as representatives and co-researchers throughout all phases of the project. This includes planning and carrying out research, and publication of results.

Statistical analysis plan:
Adolescent and youth mental health and their use of healthcare services