A longitudinal study of headspace youth oriented mental health service satisfaction, service utilization and clinical characteristics

Aim: This study examined satisfaction with accessibility, staff attitudes, personal outcomes service components of youth-oriented mental health service, Headspace, and those components' associations with psychological distress and functional status at intake, service utilization patterns and demographic characteristics at middle and end of treatment. Methods: Data were collected between March 2016 and June 2018 from 112 participants (12–25 years) who consented and completed at least seven sessions at the Headspace youth integrated-care centre in Israel using the centre's registries and the Youth Service Satisfaction Scale. Results: Headspace participants attended an average of 12 sessions (SD = 3.12), they waited up to 2 weeks for their first intake (n = 57; 73%), after which most were offered a psychotherapy session (n = 80, 71%) within 2 months. Participants' satisfaction with Headspace was above the mid-point for all service aspects. The overall effect for time was not significant, F(1) = 1.14, p >.05. However, a significant increase in satisfaction with personal outcomes was found between the middle and the end of treatment, F(2,4) = 3.11, p <.05 compared to all other aspects. The length of waiting time, level of distress, number of sessions attended by parents and age were correlated with satisfaction. Correlations were found with waiting time, distress level, number of sessions attended by parents and age. Conclusions: High levels of satisfaction with Headspace service aspects strengthens the evidence for areas of importance in designing youth mental health services: youth-friendly staff, general environment, accessibility and outcomes achievement.