Jun 2017
Youth Mental Health
Introduction
Two of the most common mental health disorders among youth are anxiety and depression. Detect and manage anxiety and depression among youth patients aged 12–24 with the Youth Mental Health: Anxiety and Depression Tool.
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In The Know - Youth Mental Health: Anxiety and Depression
Our video on the Youth Mental Health: Anxiety and Depression Tool, which includes details on what the tool highlights and how it can be used to assess and manage youth patients who experience anxiety and depression. Visit: thewellhealth.ca/ymh for more information.
Information
About the tool
Approximately 20 per cent of Ontario youth have a mental health disorder causing significant distress and impairing their functioning at home, at school, with peers or in the community. The most common are anxiety, and behavioural and depressive disorders. The Youth Mental Health: Anxiety and Depression Tool is designed to help family physicians and primary care nurse practitioners detect and manage anxiety and depression among youth patients aged 12–24.
- Intended to be used over a series of visits, the tool is divided into the following four key sections:
- Supporting your patient
- Follow-up and monitoring
- Management
- Screening and assessment
The Youth Mental Health: Anxiety and Depression Tool was developed using the CEP’s integrated knowledge translation approach. This approach ensures that providers are engaged throughout the development processes through the application of user-centered design methodology. Clinical leadership of the resource was provided by Dr. Muna Chowdhury. A group of clinical and system experts were also engaged to provide feedback on the tool.
The Youth Mental Health: Anxiety and Depression Tool is one of several resources developed as part of the 2014 to 2017 Knowledge Translation in Primary Care Initiative. This multi-year initiative was a collaboration between the Centre for Effective Practice (CEP), Ontario College of Family Physicians (OCFP) and Nurse Practitioners’ Association of Ontario (NPAO). Funded by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, this initiative supported primary care providers with the development of a series of clinical tools and health information resources.
As part of this initiative, CEP conducted a Primary Care Needs Assessment to determine topics of interest to primary care providers. In this survey, providers identified the need for more effective resources to help identify and manage risks associated with mental health conditions.
Clinical leads
Muna Chowdhury
MD, FCFP
Muna Chowdhury is a family physician at Queen West Community Health Centre. She has extensive experience in all aspects of adolescent health and expertise in providing primary and mental health care to high risk and homeless youth. As a University of Toronto faculty member, she enjoys teaching and mentoring learners at all levels, from medical students to fellows and other physician preceptors. Dr. Chowdhury is also involved in leadership, advocacy and program development related to adolescent health, and is well known among the youth-serving agencies in Toronto.
Conflict of interest
The clinical lead received compensation for her role.
Focus group and usability participants received a small token of appreciation (e.g. gift certificate).
Expert Reviewers
The CEP sought expert input to inform the Youth Mental Health: Anxiety and Depression Tool. We are grateful to all the individuals for their time and expertise.
- Chris Langlois
- Amy Cheung, MD
- Gail Czukar
- Kimberly Moran
- Valery Navarete
- Catherine Ford
- Sarah Labert
- Michelle Hurtubise