@article{discovery10190426, journal = {Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine}, title = {Turning 18 in mental health services: a multicountry�qualitative study of service user experiences and views}, year = {2024}, month = {April}, publisher = {Cambridge University Press (CUP)}, note = {This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided that no alterations are made and the original article is properly cited. The written permission of Cambridge University Press must be obtained prior to any commercial use and/or adaptation of the article.}, keywords = {Transition; young people; mental health services; continuity of care; CAMHS; AMHS}, abstract = {Background: Worldwide, the division between Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and Adult Mental Health Services (AMHS) has frequently resulted in fragmented care with an unprepared, non-gradual transition. To improve continuity of care and other service transition experiences, service user input is essential. However, such previous qualitative studies are from a decade ago or focused on one mental disorder or country. The aim of the present study was to learn from service users' transition experiences and suggested improvements. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were held with young people aged 18-24 and/or parents/caregivers in the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands and Croatia. Inclusion was based on the experience of specialist mental health care before and after turning 18. Thematic analysis of transcribed and translated interview transcripts was performed using ATLAS.ti 9. Results: Main themes of service user experiences included abrupt changes in responsibilities, various barriers and a lack of preparation, communication and ongoing care. Young people expressed a great need for continuity of care. Their suggestions to improve transitional care included early and adequate preparation, joint working, improved communication from and between services, overlapping services, staying at CAMHS for longer and designated youth mental health teams. Conclusions: Young people who experienced care before and after turning 18 suggested either altering the age limits of services or ensuring early preparation and communication regarding the transition and finding AHMS. This communication should include general changes when turning 18. Further considerations include increasing collaboration and overlap between CAMHS and AMHS.}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/ipm.2024.5}, author = {Boonstra, Anouk and Leijdesdorff, Sophie and Street, Cathy and Holme, Ingrid and van Bodegom, Larissa and Frani{\'c}, Tomislav and Appleton, Rebecca and Tah, Priya and Tuomainen, Helena and Tomljenovic, Helena and McNicholas, Fiona and van Amelsvoort, Th{\'e}r{\`e}se} }