Literature Collection

The integration of behavioral health (BH) services within pediatric primary care has been utilized as a way to address young children's social-emotional needs. This study aimed to examine whether linking at-risk young children to BH services is associated with a reduction in "non-urgent" emergency department (ED) visits. BH teams integrated in a pediatric clinic conducted socio-emotional screening in children 6-65 months of age and tracked ED utilization for children with positive screening. The results indicated that children with positive screening are less likely to have a non-urgent ED visit than children with negative screening with concerns (NWC) and are more likely to be connected to services. Among children in the NWC group, those connected to services were less likely to have non-urgent ED visits than those not connected to services. These findings suggest that integrated behavioral health care has the potential to reduce non-urgent ED visits among at-risk children.

The integration of behavioral health (BH) services within pediatric primary care has been utilized as a way to address young children's social-emotional needs. This study aimed to examine whether linking at-risk young children to BH services is associated with a reduction in "non-urgent" emergency department (ED) visits. BH teams integrated in a pediatric clinic conducted socio-emotional screening in children 6-65 months of age and tracked ED utilization for children with positive screening. The results indicated that children with positive screening are less likely to have a non-urgent ED visit than children with negative screening with concerns (NWC) and are more likely to be connected to services. Among children in the NWC group, those connected to services were less likely to have non-urgent ED visits than those not connected to services. These findings suggest that integrated behavioral health care has the potential to reduce non-urgent ED visits among at-risk children.

Health policy-makers are faced with a demand for health care that exceeds supply, driven in part by an ageing population and an increased prevalence of chronic disease. An integrated 'people-centred' model of care across primary, secondary and tertiary health care can strengthen the health system by streamlining services to improve the patient journey and outcomes. Integrated care offers an opportunity to reduce admissions and re-admissions to hospitals, reduce presentations to emergency departments and improve the capacity of outpatient clinics while delivering better outcomes to patients. Queensland's $35 million Integrated Care Innovation Fund (ICIF) has provided seed funding to 24 projects covering a wide spectrum of chronic disease management and complex disease. Programs such as the ICIF offer an opportunity to provide a new approach to caring for vulnerable populations such as the frail and elderly; children with behavioural and developmental issues; children in out-of-home care; rural and remote populations; and people with mental health issues, whose care runs the risk of 'falling through the cracks' with conventional healthcare approaches.

To overcome fragmentation in support for children and their families with multiple and enduring problems across life domains, professionals increasingly try to organize integrated care. However, it is unclear what facilitators and barriers professionals experience when providing this integrated care. Our systematic review, including 55 studies from a broad variety of settings in Youth Care, showed that integrated care on a professional level is a multi-component entity consisting of several facilitators and barriers. Findings were clustered in seven general themes: 'Child's environment', 'Preconditions', 'Care process', 'Expertise', 'Interprofessional collaboration', 'Information exchange', and 'Professional identity'. The identified facilitators and barriers were generally consistent across studies, indicating broad applicability across settings and professional disciplines. This review clearly shows that when Youth Care professionals address a broad spectrum of problems, a variety of facilitators and barriers should be considered.Registration PROSPERO, registration number CRD42018084527.

Young adulthood is a major transition period, particularly challenging for those with mental disorders. Though the prevalence of depressive and anxiety disorders is especially high, young adults are less likely to receive mental health treatment than younger and older individuals. Reasons for this mental health treatment gap are multifold and range from individual- to system-level factors that must be taken into consideration when addressing young adult mental health needs. Studies in adults and adolescents have shown that integrated care in primary care settings is an effective model of treatment of mental disorders. After providing an overview of the mental health treatment gap in this developmental period, the argument is made for research focused on integrated care models specifically tailored for young adults that takes into consideration the various needs and challenges that they face and addresses the mental health treatment gap in young adulthood.

Young adulthood is a major transition period, particularly challenging for those with mental disorders. Though the prevalence of depressive and anxiety disorders is especially high, young adults are less likely to receive mental health treatment than younger and older individuals. Reasons for this mental health treatment gap are multifold and range from individual- to system-level factors that must be taken into consideration when addressing young adult mental health needs. Studies in adults and adolescents have shown that integrated care in primary care settings is an effective model of treatment of mental disorders. After providing an overview of the mental health treatment gap in this developmental period, the argument is made for research focused on integrated care models specifically tailored for young adults that takes into consideration the various needs and challenges that they face and addresses the mental health treatment gap in young adulthood.