Scholarlink

Purpose <p>The mental health treatment gap is an important issue for young people in the East Mediterranean Region as financial constraints and cultural factors continue to play a limiting role. This paper examined predictors and barriers for help-seeking for mental health problems in children and adolescents in Lebanon.</p> Methods <p>The Psychopathology in Children and Adolescents in Lebanon Study, a nationally-representative household sample of <i>n</i> = 1,517 youth aged 5–17 years, was used. Parents and adolescents completed several self-reported mental health questionnaires, and a demographic information sheet. Potential barriers to care utilization assessed included: (i) discomfort in discussing mental health, (ii) stigmatization, (iii) distrust in effectiveness of mental healthcare, (iv) costs, (v) unavailability of nearby services. Regression models were conducted to examine the correlates of help-seeking for psychiatric disorders.</p> Results <p>Of the <i>n</i> = 498 youth with a positive screen for a psychiatric disorder, only <i>n</i> = 25 (5.0%) reported ever receiving professional mental healthcare services. Male gender, receiving school accommodation, higher parent-reported hyperactivity and depression were associated with help-seeking after adjustment for other variables. For children with a positive screen who had not sought help, the most often endorsed barriers were costs (22.3% major barrier) and unavailability of nearby services (16.1% major barrier).</p> Conclusion <p>This study showed that costs and unavailability of nearby services were the biggest barriers to help-seeking among children and adolescents in Lebanon, underscoring the importance of incorporating mental health in public health policies and budget allocation in the East Mediterranean Region.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Youth mental health treatment gap in lebanon: correlates of barriers to accessing child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS)

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年3月5日

查看全文
  • Koen Bolhuis,
  • Wael Shamseddeen,
  • Lilian A Ghandour,
  • Martine Elbejjani,
  • Fadi T. Maalouf

摘要

Purpose

The mental health treatment gap is an important issue for young people in the East Mediterranean Region as financial constraints and cultural factors continue to play a limiting role. This paper examined predictors and barriers for help-seeking for mental health problems in children and adolescents in Lebanon.

Methods

The Psychopathology in Children and Adolescents in Lebanon Study, a nationally-representative household sample of n = 1,517 youth aged 5–17 years, was used. Parents and adolescents completed several self-reported mental health questionnaires, and a demographic information sheet. Potential barriers to care utilization assessed included: (i) discomfort in discussing mental health, (ii) stigmatization, (iii) distrust in effectiveness of mental healthcare, (iv) costs, (v) unavailability of nearby services. Regression models were conducted to examine the correlates of help-seeking for psychiatric disorders.

Results

Of the n = 498 youth with a positive screen for a psychiatric disorder, only n = 25 (5.0%) reported ever receiving professional mental healthcare services. Male gender, receiving school accommodation, higher parent-reported hyperactivity and depression were associated with help-seeking after adjustment for other variables. For children with a positive screen who had not sought help, the most often endorsed barriers were costs (22.3% major barrier) and unavailability of nearby services (16.1% major barrier).

Conclusion

This study showed that costs and unavailability of nearby services were the biggest barriers to help-seeking among children and adolescents in Lebanon, underscoring the importance of incorporating mental health in public health policies and budget allocation in the East Mediterranean Region.