Exploring the perceptions of workers on young adult mental health service (dis)engagement

The purpose of this research is to glean how social workers understand and address engagement in mental health services among transition-age youth and young adults (TAYYA). Five focus groups with 26 social workers were conducted. Workers were asked questions about their perspectives on the concept of engagement. Data analysis consisted of the constant comparative method. Results revealed that workers perceive many layers of the ecosystem impact TAYYA engagement in mental health services, including factors at the individual, meso, and systems levels. Results suggest that agencies may be able to increase TAYYA engagement by focusing on both worker and agency-level characteristics.