Investigating Barriers to Mental Health Help in Australian Adolescents

This research proposal investigates the critical issue of mental health among Australian adolescents, addressing the significant barriers that prevent them from seeking timely help and adhering to treatment interventions. The proposal highlights the prevalence of mental disorders in this age group and the concerning statistic that a substantial percentage do not access available mental health services. The study aims to identify the specific obstacles, categorized as personal, social, and systemic factors, that hinder adolescents from seeking help when facing mental health issues and adhering to treatment plans. The methodology will involve a qualitative approach to gather in-depth insights into the perceptions, attitudes, and experiences of adolescents. The expected outcomes include a deeper understanding of the barriers and recommendations for interventions at personal, local, and national levels to improve access to mental health services and treatment adherence. The significance of this study lies in its potential to inform healthcare planning, improve service delivery, and address the unmet mental health needs of young Australians, ultimately leading to better care outcomes.

Running head: PROPOSAL 1
Proposal
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation

PROPOSAL 2
Proposal
Introduction
Research plays a key role in healthcare development by offering evidence-based insights
that could be used to enhance service delivery and consumer experiences. Findings from
healthcare research have been used to develop policies, establish treatment guidelines, and
improve access to services for special and marginalized groups (Boaz et al., 2015). However, the
reliability and validity of the outcomes of health research depend on the extent to which the
study adhered to comprehensive and focused data collection, data analysis, and interpretation of
the findings (Boaz et al., 2015; Soper et al., 2015). This paper is a research proposal for health
research that intends to investigate the barriers that prevent Australian adolescents from seeking
mental health help and adhering to treatment interventions.
Background of the Study
About 13.9% of Australian children between the age of 4 and 17 are considered to be
suffering from a mental disorder (Lawrence et al., 2015). The percentage represents over half a
million children and adolescents in the country. The statistics imply that mental health among
young people in the country is a serious concern that requires comprehensive interventions
(Memarzia et al., 2015). Data specific to gender show that men are a higher risk of mental illness
when compared to their counterparts male at 16.3% and 11.5% respectively. In Australia, the
most common mental health problem among young people is Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity
Disorder (ADHD). Prevalence of ADHD among young people in the country stands at 7.4%.
Other complications include anxiety, depressive, and conduct disorders at 6.9%, 2.8%, and 2.1%
respectively (Lawrence et al., 2015). Another key indicator of mental health among adolescents
is the coexistence of several mental disorders in an individual. For example, clinical evidence

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shows that about 30% of young Australians are diagnosed with two or more mental-related
illnesses (Lawrence et al., 2015).
Mental disorder has a major impact on one’s health, especially among young people. The
impact of the condition depends on the specific diagnosis made (Collins & Munoz-Solomando,
2018). For example, among young people, depression has an extensive impact when compared to
other conditions such as anxiety and depressive symptoms. In fact, in most cases, a greater
percentage of young people with anxiety or ADHD, estimated at 65.7% have only the mild form
of the illnesses (Lawrence et al., 2015). However, when it comes to depression, most reported
cases are severe. Based on the impact of mental health on the emotional, social, and physical
wellbeing of the affected persons, it is important to consider the essence of getting immediate
professional help (Lawrence et al., 2015). However, this remains to be a key challenge among
young people. There is a tendency of reporting chronic cases as opposed to mild diagnosis,
which impact treatment outcomes and recovery process.
A variety of interventions are available for mental health patients across different
territories in the country. However, the main question is the number of young people with mental
illness seeking help in these facilities (Klodnick et al., 2014). A survey showed that only 17% of
children and adolescents have utilized the mental health services available in different facilities.
The main types of help sought by the 17% were behavioral and emotional interventions. Most
commonly considered option is health services at 14.8% followed by school services at 11.5%
(Lawrence et al., 2015). Those who preferred both school and health services as combined
intervention represented 53.5%. It is clear that only about 56% of young people suffering from
mental disorder seek help by considering the available professional services. The greatest
concern remains to be the reasons why the remaining 44% did not seek mental health services

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(Lawrence et al., 2015). The second concern entails the type of help that young people received.
Emotional and behavioral interventions are the most commonly consumed mental health help by
young Australians.
On the other hand, there are limited studies that investigate the reasons why some young
people fail to seek mental health interventions in time. Clinical exploration and investigations in
this area are limited; however, statistics indicate that out of young people diagnosed with any
type of mental illness in the country, only 56% had the privilege to seek professional help
(Lawrence et al., 2015). In this case, there is the possibility of the existence of multidimensional
barriers that impede the ability of young people to seek help in time and not to wait until the
condition becomes severe. Different dimensions have been examined regarding the causes of
mental health among young people (Klodnick et al., 2014; Memarzia et al., 2015). A significant
number of studies have also evaluated the implications and efficacy of different treatment
interventions. Systematic reviews and qualitative analysis of the barriers to seeking mental health
help are limited.
It is also important to note that scholars have shown that, in Australia and other
developed nations, a high prevalence of mental health disorders among young people have
originated from increased access and use of internet amid cybersecurity and cyberbullying issues
(King et al., 2012; Daine et al., 2013; Geel, Vedder, & Tanilon, 2014). The shift in behavioral
aspects among adolescents has generated complex mental health dimensions, which according to
some scholars are not currently met by the existing interventions. In this case, a high number of
mental health-based needs for young people remain unmet (Ali, Farrer, & Gulliver, 2015). The
unmet needs are facilitated by the lack of young people to occasionally seek help when facing
mental health problems. The insights gathered from reported cases provide a foundation for

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intervention and care plan development (Memarzia et al., 2015). However, there is a critical
challenge when the data is only collected from a few individual yet a significant portion remains
unaccounted for in the planning process. Such a scenario is what scholars have pointed out to be
happening with mental health among young people.
Other scholarly pieces of evidence have found out the existence of diverse barriers that
impede successful treatment. Barriers to mental health treatment among people are diverse
(Mission Australia & Black Dog Institute, 2016; Munson et al. 2012). However, the most
commonly featured issues include the concerns regarding the degree of confidentiality among
practitioners, the existence of limited resources to meet the needs of the high number of young
people seeking mental health, and the issue of cost (Belling et al., 2014; Cappelli et al., 2016).
Other factors that have featured in the scholarly analysis include the challenge of accessing
services across the country. Young people could be willing and able to afford mental health
treatment; however, the inability to access such services affects the process of treatment and
recovery. The concern about the willingness and preference of young people regarding face-to-
face mental health intervention remains on the balance (Cappelli et al., 2016). It is considered
that reluctant individuals could be playing a key role in the current statistical indications
(Nguyen et al., 2017). Nevertheless, regardless of the current number of young people suffering
from different mental conditions, there is a clear picture that only 56% seek treatment and
intervention services (Lawrence et al., 2015). The remaining percentage of the affected persons
fails to seek help and is at risk of experiencing the adverse implications of poor mental health
among young people.

PROPOSAL 6
Study Objectives and Research Questions
The purpose of the proposed study is to evaluate the existing barriers preventing
Australian young people from seeking mental health help and adhering to treatment
interventions. The study will focus on adolescents in the country and how to experience mental
health issues. The research will specifically narrow down to the process of seeking mental health
assistance through professional interventions. Within this context, the researcher will endeavor to
determine the specific barriers that prevent Australian adolescents from seeking help when
facing mental health issues. At the same time, the study will also incorporate those barriers
relating to adherence to treatment interventions. However, to achieve the purpose of the
proposed research, the paper will recommend the strategies that could be used to improve how
adolescents could overcome these barriers and seek professional help when facing mental health
problems and adhere to the recommended treatment interventions. The following list of
objectives will define the scope of this proposed health inquiry.
i. To determine the existing barriers preventing Australian young people from
seeking help when facing a mental health issue.
ii. To determine the existing barriers preventing Australian young people from
adhering to treatment interventions when diagnosed with a mental health problem.
iii. To recommend the measures to be undertaken at personal, local, and national
level to mitigate barriers to seeking mental health help and adherence to treatment
interventions among Australian young people.
Based on the above three objectives, the proposed health research will be guided by the
following three research questions.

PROPOSAL 7
Q1. What are the existing barriers preventing Australian young people from seeking
help when facing a mental health issue?
Q2. What are the existing barriers preventing Australian young people from adhering
to treatment interventions when diagnosed with a mental health problem?
Q3. What are the measures to be undertaken at personal, local, and national level to
mitigate barriers to seeking mental health help and adherence to treatment
interventions among Australian young people?
Significance and Innovation of the Proposed Study
This proposed study will be essential for healthcare planning and implementation. Since
the study is focusing on the barriers to access to services, the findings will provide insights
regarding the areas of concern that healthcare practitioners need to consider while improving
access to mental health services (Munson & Lox, 2012). The findings will reveal the barriers that
prevent effective mental healthcare for young Australians, which will be a key baseline for state
and territorial decision making regarding the management of mental health in the country (Di
Rezze et al., 2016; Kitropoulos et al., 2015). Another significance of this proposed study is that
the outcomes will inform decisions regarding how to carry put framework planning and
designing that targets the loopholes in mental health service delivery (Hall et al., 2015). Parents,
teachers, and peer counselors will not be aware of the challenges that young people face and seek
to provide a collaborative environment that will improve care outcomes in a short-term and long-
term basis. The researcher will provide multidimensional recommendations that will not only
incorporate the approach to barrier elimination but also the measures to enhance treatment
adherence. The recommendations from this research will be qualitative, which means it will take
into consideration the perceptions, attitude, beliefs, and experiences of the participants.

PROPOSAL 8
Expected Outcomes and Hypothesis
This proposed study is expected to determine the factors that hinder young people from
accessing available mental health services. The proposed study hypothesizes that young people
encounter significant barriers that impede them from seeking help when facing a mental health
issue. This proposal expects the findings to show that the barriers could be categorized into three
broad categories: personal, social, and system factors. Moreover, the proposed inquiry also
predicts that young people experience diverse issues that impact their adherence to treatment
interventions when diagnosed with a mental health problem. Again this intended study
hypothesizes that the barriers to treatment adherence could be considered as individual or
system-based. Finally, this research also predicts that there is a comprehensive link between the
barriers to seeking mental health services and adhering to treatment among young people is a
critical matter and should be addressed by considering multidimensional interventions at state
and local level within the healthcare system. However, the researcher’s conclusions will be
entirely based on the actual findings as depicted by the analysis of data.
Research Plan: Research Methodology
This proposed study will be conducted using a qualitative method. Health research could
be carried out based on qualitative, quantitative, or a mixed methodology. Each of these methods
has specific frameworks to be followed to meet the objective of the study. However, in this case,
the researcher will adopt a qualitative approach to assess the existing barriers in line with the
three research questions. Qualitative research involves the assessment of qualitative data
regarding the perception, beliefs, attitudes, and experience of the selected participants in lien
with the topic under inquiry. Qualitative research is appropriate for this study since the focus of
the topic is on the range of different dimensions associated with seeking mental health services

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and adhering to treatment interventions among young people. Therefore, limiting the research to
a quantitative analysis will not be appropriate, which explains why a qualitative methodology is
proposed.
The data for this proposed study will be collected using focused group interviews. The
researcher will recruit members where the inclusion criteria will be those facing mental health
challenges. The members to be recruited will be identified from randomly identified health
facilities with group interventions for young people facing mental health challenges. The focus
groups will be limited to five individuals who shared or will be sharing a similar diagnosis. A
total of 200 participants will be recruited for the study based on healthcare research principles
and guidelines of working with patients under treatment interventions as participants. Focus
group discussions will seek to determine the challenges that these young people faced while
trying to access mental healthcare services. Once the data is collected, the researcher will
categorize them into qualitative themes for discussion. The barriers associated with seeking
mental health services will be categorized into individual, social, and system factors. The same
approach will be used to evaluate the issues associated with mental health treatment adherence.
Ethical Considerations
Ethics in research is an important aspect especially when healthcare issues are involved.
This research focuses on young mental health patients. It is therefore important to consider the
privacy and wellbeing of the participants. The first consideration will be the nature of individuals
to be considered for recruitment. The researcher will only work with young people who have
depicted a significant level of improvement or have achieved total recovery but are still part of
the group therapy sessions. The research will also consider previous patients who could be in
volunteer programs and working together with other young people in these groups. The

PROPOSAL 10
identified members will be required to fill consent forms before participation. This study will not
collect any private information about the participants such as their personal names and identity or
anything relating to their respective families or information relating to their diagnosis. Moreover,
the researcher will only work with young people from facilities that approved data collection
requests.
Study Limitations
Based on the scope of this study, the researcher is bound to face several limitations. The
process of collecting data using focus groups in qualitative studies is comprehensive and takes
time. This research is targeting 200 young people within a three-month data collection period. In
this case, the researcher requires extensive knowledge in focus group management. Qualitative
analyses are multidimensional, which means that the researcher will be required to pay attention
to emerging themes and link them with objectives. At the same time, there is a risk of recruiting
limited participants and failure to get consent from the randomly selected healthcare facilities.
Moreover, since the researcher will be dealing with young people who undergo group therapy
within the hospitals on designated days, there is a possibility of losing some participants due to
mental health relapse. However, the researcher should strive to maintain the recruited members
to a minimum of 160, which will be reliable for this topic.
Study Administration
The proposed study will be conducted within a period of 10 months. The entire study will
occur in five phases where the data collection phases will be the longest. The forts table below
presents a comprehensive research timeline. The second table outlines the proposed budget
associated with this study.
Table 1: Research Timeline

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SN. Phase Description Proposed
Duration
1 Phase One:
Preliminary of the
study
This first phase will involve the preparation of the
proposal, developing a review of the literature,
selecting the instrumentation, and creating the data
collection tools.
At this phase, the research will also look for
consent from the selected healthcare facilities.
One Month
2 Phase Two: Data
collection
The second phase will involve the collection of data
based on the focus groups created and the designed
instruments with discussion questions.
Three Months
3 Phase Three: Data
Analysis
This will involve the evaluation of collected data
based on emerging themes. The outcomes will be
compared with the objectives, questions, and
hypothesis.
Three Months
4 Phase Four:
Reviewing
Outcomes
After the first data analysis process, the researcher
will review the outcomes for any possible
abnormalities before conducting a final
interpretation of the analyzed data.
Two Months
5 Phase Five: Report
Preparation
The final stage of the study will be report
preparation where the collected, analyzed, and
interpreted information will be presented in a
logical and professional manner.
One Month
Table 2: Proposed Budget
SN. Budget Aspect Description Proposed
Amount
1 Equipment and
Materials
- Research materials such as printing papers,
cards, notebooks, and pens.
- Two tablets for data entry
2 Subcontract (Focus
Group
Management)
- Two individuals to assist in the coordination
and management of focus groups.
3 Subcontract (Data
Analysis and
Interpretation)
- Two individuals to assist in data coding and
analysis.
4 Report Preparation - Cost of preparing fists and final drafts
5 Consultations - External expertise consultation for
professional guide and instrument validation
6 Travel - Movement from one facility to the other and
during focus groups meetings
7 Meals and Sundry - Meals for coordinators and refreshments for

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Expenses participants.