Exploring the Presenting Problems and Services Received by Youth with Diverse Mental Health Presentations in Integrated Youth Mental Health Services Across Canada

Int J Integr Care. 2026 Mar 18;26(1):11. doi: 10.5334/ijic.10147. eCollection 2026 Jan-Mar.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Integrated youth mental health (YMH) primary care initiatives have the potential to improve Canada’s treatment gap. However, there is no current standard for implementing these services, and offerings vary greatly across models and sites. This has equity implications for the care received by youth with severe presentations.

METHODS: We describe the provider-rated problems with which 2995 youth presented to ACCESS Open Minds, a multi-site, Canadian YMH integrated care initiative and the services they received, based on the severity of their needs at intake.

RESULTS: The largest proportion of youth had both moderate-severe presentations and moderate-to-significant difficulties in functioning (41.67%). The first instance of receiving services following intake for most participants (71.42%) entailed a single service. The highest proportion of youth for whom the type of service received was not documented was those who presented with neither moderate-severe presentations nor poor functioning (15.01%). There was substantial variability in services provided across sites.

CONCLUSION: Variability in service delivery confirms the need for greater standardization of core service offerings across sites. Future research should assess the appropriateness of services for different presentations to ensure equitable support is provided for all youth.

PMID:41868958 | PMC:PMC13004059 | DOI:10.5334/ijic.10147