Family and Youth Mental Health Needs and Outcomes in a Navigation Service: A Retrospective Chart Review

Objective. The process of patient navigation involves system resource experts matching patients to the most appropriate services. Patient navigation within the mental health and/or addictions (MHA) system is only a recent development and has not undergone extensive research. This study examines trends regarding clients of a family navigation service in Toronto, Canada, which supports families of youth ages 13-26 with MHA concerns. Method. A retrospective chart review was conducted using a sample of 200 cases from the first 989 clients of the navigation service. Descriptive statistics were performed to examine the general characteristics and demographics of navigation clients, the MHA profiles of navigation clients, and the characteristics of navigation. To predict the service needs and goals of navigation clients, four forward likelihood ratio multinomial logistic regression analyses were performed. Results. Female caregivers were the most frequent point of contact, and families most commonly requested psychiatric assessments, counselling services, and parent support programs. Families who were seeking help for a female youth were less likely to request psychiatric treatment compared to families seeking help for a male youth (p=.04) and families with a youth who already had a formal psychiatric diagnosis were more likely to request a counselling or therapy referral (p=.04) compared to families with a youth who had not received a formal psychiatric diagnosis. Conclusion. The findings contribute to an understanding of family navigation within the MHA field, and may support the development of targeted navigation programs that meet youth and families' needs.