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Mental Health Literacies for Interprofessional Collaboration: Youth Workers’ Perspectives on Constraining and Supporting Factors

Publication: Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health
22 December 2016

Abstract

Interprofessional relationships between youth workers and mental health service providers are now understood as an integral aspect of mental health literacy and care provision. This paper reports on findings from an online survey exploring youth workers’ (N = 74) perceptions of mental health literacy, specifically in regards to interprofessional relationships in Canada. Discourse analysis of participants’ qualitative responses revealed three themes: constructing us/them binaries, differential positioning contributing to collaboration, and hierarchical differential positioning contributing to learned helplessness. Constraining and supporting conditions for collaboration include organizational structures and policies that support the development of interprofessional relationships, knowledge of different professions’ roles and responsibilities, and respectful experiences during collaboration.

Résumé

Les relations interprofessionnelles entre les travailleurs auprès des jeunes et les fournisseurs de services de santé mentale sont aujourd’hui envisagées comme faisant partie intégrante de la culture de la santé mentale et de la prestation de soins connexes. Le présent article rend compte des résultats d’un sondage en ligne explorant la perception de travailleurs auprès des jeunes (N = 74) à l’égard de la culture de la santé mentale, particulièrement en ce qui concerne les relations interprofessionnelles au Canada. Une analyse du discours portant sur les réponses qualitatives des participants révèle trois thèmes : l’établissement d’une classification binaire « nous/eux »; un positionnement différentiel contribuant à une collaboration; et un positionnement différentiel hiérarchique contribuant à une impuissance acquise. Les conditions limitant et favorisant la collaboration comprennent les structures et les politiques organisationnelles qui appuient le développement de relations interprofessionnelles, la connaissance du rôle et des responsabilités de différentes professions ainsi que les expériences fondées sur le respect durant ladite collaboration.

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Information & Authors

Information

Published In

cover image Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health
Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health
Volume 35Number 3December 2016
Pages: 69 - 81

History

Version of record online: 22 December 2016

Key Words

  1. interprofessional collaboration
  2. youth work
  3. mental health literacy
  4. discourse analysis

Mots-clés

  1. collaboration interprofessionnelle
  2. travail auprès des jeunes
  3. culture de la santé mentale
  4. analyse du discours

Authors

Affiliations

Patti Ranahan [email protected]
Tieja Thomas

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