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Presented at the 21st Annual Research Conference

Waiting Lists in Canadian Children’s Mental Health: Current Status and Potential Solutions

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Session Number: 3 Room: Salon C

Presentation Type: symposium

Chair: Charles E. Cunningham Discussant:

Synopsis: Utilization studies suggest that many children with mental health problems do not receive professional assistance. Those locating services often wait for extended periods of time. This symposium illustrates the application of a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods to develop effective alternatives to simply waiting for children’s mental health (CMH) services. The first paper, by several of Canada’s most noted health service policy researchers, used qualitative embedded case study methods to determine the range of strategies Canadian CMH services providers employ to manage or reduce waiting lists. The second presentation combines qualitative and quantitative consumer preference modeling methods to involve parents and professionals in the development of information strategies that might be helpful for parents waiting for CMH services. A sample of 909 parents seeking CMH services and 500 CMH professionals completed a discrete choice experiment examining content, process, and outcome preferences for information about CMH problems. Simulations predicted that, although 95% of professionals thought parents should use a solution-focused information strategy while waiting for services, only 39% of parents would choose this approach. An additional 38% would prefer an information-focused strategy while 21.8% would prefer to simply wait for traditional services. Dr. Patrick McGrath and colleagues present the results of four randomized trials evaluating the effectiveness of Family Help, a suite of interventions approximating the solution-focused information strategies emerging from Dr. Cunningham’s modeling studies. Family Help is a distance treatment approach that uses a disorder-specific handbook, videotapes, and a non-professional coach to help parents develop strategies to manage oppositional defiant disorder, attention deficit disorder, anxiety disorders and night-time enuresis. These trials demonstrate that services consistent with parental preferences yield outcomes rivaling the best available evidence-based treatments.

Date:

Session Time: 10:15 AM - 11:45 AM

Family Help: Distance Treatment for Child Mental Health Problems

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Presenting: Patrick McGrath

All Authors for this paper: Patrick McGrath; Patrick McGrath; Cathy MacLean; Charles Cunningham; Sherry Stewart

Presentation Type: element of symposium

Synopsis: Child mental health problems are frequent, access to care is poor and retention in treatment is low. We developed Family Help to overcome the system and family factors. Family Help is a distance treatment approach that uses a disorder-specific handbook and videotapes and a non-professional coach to treat children with oppositional defiant disorder, attention deficit disorder, anxiety disorders and night-time enuresis. Results of 4 randomized trials demonstrate that families are retained in treatment and children are effectively treated.

Approaches to Managing Child Mental Health Waitlists in Canada: A Qualitative Investigation

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Presenting: John McLennan

All Authors for this paper: John McLennan; Mary Perry; Charlotte Waddell; John Lavis

Presentation Type: element of symposium

Synopsis: How public mental health agencies are addressing the mismatch between the need for child mental health treatment services and the limited resources of these agencies is poorly known. We undertook a qualitative embedded case study investigation to determine what strategies Canadian child mental health agencies employ to address the mismatch. This presentation will review the range of strategies employed at different points along the pathway from help seeking to treatment receipt.

Modeling Children’s Mental Health Waiting List Reduction Strategies Using Discrete Choice Conjoint Experiments: Parent versus Professional Preferences

We're sorry, handouts are not available for this presentation.

Presenting: Charles Cunningham

All Authors for this paper: Charles Cunningham; Heather Rimas; Charles Cunningham; Ken Deal; Don Buchanan

Presentation Type: element of symposium

Synopsis: A sample of 909 families seeking children’s mental health (CMH) services and 500 professionals completed a discrete choice experiment examining content, process, and outcome preferences for information about CMH problems. Simulations predicted that, although 95% of professionals thought parents should use a solution-focused information strategy while waiting for services, only 39% of parents would choose this approach. An additional 38% would prefer an information-focused strategy while 21.8% would prefer to simply wait for traditional services.