Scholarlink

<p>Most research on youth mental health services has focused on clinical treatments and therapeutic approaches. Given the increasing prevalence of poor mental health among children and adolescents, there is a growing need to broaden this focus and explore the role of the civic sector in supporting young people with mental health issues. This study investigated young people´s experiences with headspace Denmark, a national civil society initiative promoting youth mental health and well-being. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 young people aged 14–25 years, who sought support from volunteer counsellors at headspace Denmark and analysed following Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis. Participants described headspace as a safe and welcoming space where they could share thoughts and feelings that were difficult to express elsewhere. Counsellors were perceived as caring, attentive, and genuinely interested: Conversations were often compared to supportive interactions with friends or family members. The physical environment was described as cozy and home-like, providing a contrast to clinical settings. Findings suggest that volunteer-based mental health services offer distinct benefits beyond compensating for limited professional resources, providing relational, accessible, non-clinical support that may play a valuable role in the broader youth mental health landscape. </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

A qualitative study of young people’s experiences of counselling in headspace Denmark as a civic approach to youth mental health

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2026年6月22日

查看全文
  • Siv Therese Bogevik Bjørkedal,
  • Mads Fabricius,
  • Rie Mandrup Poulsen,
  • Anna Paldam Folker,
  • Lene Falgaard Eplov

摘要

Most research on youth mental health services has focused on clinical treatments and therapeutic approaches. Given the increasing prevalence of poor mental health among children and adolescents, there is a growing need to broaden this focus and explore the role of the civic sector in supporting young people with mental health issues. This study investigated young people´s experiences with headspace Denmark, a national civil society initiative promoting youth mental health and well-being. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 young people aged 14–25 years, who sought support from volunteer counsellors at headspace Denmark and analysed following Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis. Participants described headspace as a safe and welcoming space where they could share thoughts and feelings that were difficult to express elsewhere. Counsellors were perceived as caring, attentive, and genuinely interested: Conversations were often compared to supportive interactions with friends or family members. The physical environment was described as cozy and home-like, providing a contrast to clinical settings. Findings suggest that volunteer-based mental health services offer distinct benefits beyond compensating for limited professional resources, providing relational, accessible, non-clinical support that may play a valuable role in the broader youth mental health landscape.