YOUTHS’ ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

Accessing mental health services can be a challenge for the youth. Some of the challenges faced by the youth when accessing services include not knowing where to go, how to get there and who to see when they get there.

Sometimes young people find themselves wondering if they will be judged by their counsellor on the basis of their age or problems, if confidentiality will be kept, whether the counsellor will be able to relate to them, or if they will be diagnosed with a mental illness and what that means for them. Another aspect involves whether or not they will receive the necessary support from their loved ones, concerns of being stigmatised and the consequences of possibly being heavily medicated. At BOSASNET, we believe that seeking support is not something to be ashamed of. Throughout the years, we have seen several different clients, among them youths who have both substance use disorders and mental health related issues. This week’s topic is ‘ Youths’ Access to Mental Health Services’.

Below is a story of young man who struggled with mental health issues and how he overcame them, in order to showcase the reality that young people do struggle with mental health issues and can be helped upon seeking services.

Temo had a happy upbringing and was very popular among his peers. He was the class clown, mostly he loved to assist close friends who were struggling with their schoolwork as he was the genius of the class. Even though he was known by all, he secretly yearned to be accepted by others like any other child would. Some were jealous of him and would call him a “nerd” and a “loser” as he did not have a girlfriend. In order to try fit in with his bullies, he started hanging out with them more and more, they went on to tell him that if he really wanted to be friends with them he should “loosen up” and try some stuff they were using. This is how Temo was introduced to drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana in an effort to impress his new friends.

Temo began changing from being a kind and well-mannered boy to being rude and disrespectful. He started losing interest in all the activities that he used to prioritise in his day to day life. He became very reserved and eventually his parents started to notice that something was not adding up. When approached, he would not engage in any conversation; he would either get frustrated with them and insist that nothing was wrong, or he would simply ignore them and go to his room. One morning, the family were startled by a panicked Temo screaming that some people just barged into his room and wanted to kill him. They rushed into the room after calling the Police only for them to find no one there, but Temo insisted that they were still in there and that he could hear them. Temo was taken to the emergency room where he told the doctor that no one understands him and he has no one talk to, as a lot of people now call him a crazy person. He shared with the doctor that he felt as though he was worthless, he added that he has on several occasion told his parents that he was not coping, but was told to stop making excuses for his bad behaviour. He started crying uncontrollably; he related his story to the doctor. Temo was not happy when the doctor told him that he would like to refer him for psychiatric assessment to an appropriate facility, as he felt that it was going to be confirmation to those who have been stigmatising him that he truly was crazy. The doctor let him know the importance of getting support so as not to worsen his situation and that getting a psychiatric assessment does not mean that one is crazy. He was also referred to BOSASNET for further evaluation for counselling services.

Temo was reluctant to seek services, insisting that he did not need help to quit using substances, however he finally agreed to go. Once he got to BOSASNET, he refused to get out of the car and told his mother that he was nervous. He ended up being seen after 2 hours of negotiations. He was uncomfortable during screening, did not maintain eye contact and expressed hopelessness when he was told that he may have moderate anxiety. The counsellor reassured and explained the results to him. He requested to be seen by the counsellor doing the intake reporting that he feels comfortable talking to him only after building rapport. As a result of Temo’s use, he had fallen behind on his schoolwork but was relieved when the counsellor reassured him that an arrangement will be made to schedule sessions in a manner that will not affect his school schedule and allow him to catch up with his peers. During his time in the programme, there were instances whereby he was unable to attend face to face sessions because of his busy school schedule and he ended up having virtual sessions. Temo, however, preferred inperson sessions to which he reported that he always looked forward to them. Temo’s school marks gradually started to improve again and he reported to have started abstaining from the substances and avoiding the friends that got him into drugs.

Some youth are not as fortunate as Temo to have access to facilities that gave him the support he needed. There are challenges that can lead to youth not having access to treatment, some of these challenges include:

• Lack of knowledge on where to access

services.

• Stigma from those around them - e.g.

family member, peers, and society at large.

• Financial barriers - the cost of

services to those without access to funds.

• Those who are unable to attend face to

face sessions but do not have technology access, e.g. internet or phones.

• Accessibility - lack of transport. • Long waiting periods between

sessions.

BOSASNET offers counselling services to people experiencing problems with substance use, depression, anxiety, stress, anger management and adjustment issues. If you think that you might have a problem mentioned above, or if you have a friend or family member who does, we encourage you to seek help. For some, it can mean the difference between life and death. You can find BOSASNET on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tiktok or call us on 3959119 or 72659891 for more information.