We are in the midst of a youth mental health crisis. Yet, many children and adolescents who need services do not have access to high-quality mental health care. This is especially true for low-income and economically marginalized families and youth of color. Schools offer an ideal setting in which children and adolescents can access services;…

This scoping review examined current evidence on medical home care and its association with educational services for children and youth on the autism spectrum. We searched five databases and grey literature resulting in 328 publications. Publications meeting inclusion criteria were mapped to medical home care component(s) addressed, type(s) of…

Background: Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) describes an eating disturbance associated with weight loss or faltering growth in children, significant nutritional deficiency, reliance on oral supplements, reliance on enteral feeding and/or a clear interference with psychosocial functioning, in the absence of body image concerns.…

Many autistic youth have complex healthcare needs, resulting in high rates of health service utilization. However, many characteristics of this health service utilization remain unknown. Using whole-of-population data, this study aimed to quantify and compare rates of psychiatric and non-psychiatric health service utilization among autistic and…

A cohort of pediatric patients with gender dysphoria was studied to determine differences in gender-affirming care by patient characteristics. This study found that patients were diagnosed, on average, between 13 and 15 years of age. Patients who were assigned male sex at birth were more likely to be diagnosed at a younger age and receive puberty…

Internationally, over 60% of all lifetime cases of mental health disorders are identified as emerging by 25 years of age. In Australia, young people (aged 16-24 years) report the highest prevalence of mental health problems. Acceptability of mainstream services for young people is a concern, particularly for clients 18-25 years, heterosexual males…

Systemic racism is pervasive in US society and disproportionately limits opportunities for education, work, and health for historically marginalized and minoritized racial and ethnic groups, making it an urgent issue of social justice. Because systemic racism is a social determinant of health prevalent across multiple social and institutional…

Background: We examined trends in mental health service utilization before, during, and in the immediate return to in-person learning throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Retrospective chart review was assessed for changes in odds of any visit being a mental health encounter from five school-based health centers from the 2018-2019 to the…

Background: Despite the importance of delivering speech and language therapy services to children who stutter (CWS), there are barriers to accessing speech and language therapy. One way to improve access for those who may otherwise be deprived of speech and language therapy services, including CWS, is through telepractice (TP). However, there is…

In this article, we draw on a narrative inquiry into the experiences of children, youth, and families waiting for mental health support during the COVID-19 pandemic in Western Canada. We foreground two youths' experiences (Gillian, who self-identifies as transgender, and Malek, who self-identifies as racialized) to highlight the complex barriers…

Adolescents living in both rural and urban settings experience the same mental health care needs at similar rates, but those living in rural environments experience exacerbated consequences because of localized barriers to receiving support. These barriers are often summarized as the three A's: availability, accessibility, and acceptability.…

Adolescents and young adults living with chronic illness experience more complications and challenges when transitioning to adult-oriented care. Despite various interventions to support medication management, goal setting, and collaboration with care teams, AYAs continue to struggle, affecting their health and life outcomes. In this dissertation,…

Youth with mental illness struggle to receive essential behavioral health care. One obstacle is denial of coverage by insurance. In California, managed care consumers may apply for independent medical review (IMR) which potentially overturns an insurance denial through the California Department of Managed Healthcare (CDMHC). The authors aim to…

Although previous research has shown that the transition to adulthood may be challenging, there exists a lack of research regarding perspectives of stakeholders on the transition of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This study aimed to investigate stakeholders' experiences regarding healthcare services for youth with ASD during…

Adolescent substance use is typically addressed from the perspectives of school personnel (e.g., teachers, school counselors, social workers, and resource officers) who interact daily with students in school settings. Consequences of adolescent substance use in the schools may include suspension or expulsion and possible legal involvement.…