Young People's Journeys around Mental Health and Mental Medical Services Study (JAMMed): Longitudinal Qualitative Study

Mental illness is a serious and growing concern for young people in the ACT. Despite investment in youth friendly services, young people continue to struggle to have their mental health needs met. We know that vulnerable young people, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with culturally and linguistically diverse background, those with disability, and those who are homeless, experience worse access to care. As they mature, there are also risks when young people transition to adult services. We need to better understand structural inequities in the services we provide. However unintentional, these inequities reinforce the unfortunate reality we see across Australia: that those with the deepest mental health needs usually have the least access to services.