"I'm tired of being pulled from pillar to post": A qualitative analysis of barriers to mental health care for trauma-exposed young people

Abstract

AIM: Traumatic experiences in childhood are pervasive and associated with a range of deleterious mental health outcomes. Despite this, trauma-exposed young people often do not seek help from mental health services. While barriers to care for general mental health concerns are well established, less is known about those specifically facing young people who have experienced trauma. The present paper sought to examine the barriers in seeking mental health care faced by trauma-exposed young people through a qualitative analysis of online forums where individuals discuss and seek informal support for trauma. METHODS: This study used a qualitative, netnographic design, following the six-step LiLED..