Is Mental Health Care Service Utilization and Treatment Prospectively Associated with Favourable Mental Health Outcomes in Youth from the General Population?
1
TUD Dresden University of Technology, Behavioral Epidemiology, Dresden, Germany
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A2649
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
In Germany, there is a high utilization of mental health care services among youth. Randomized controlled trials have provided substantial evidence for the efficacy of both pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments for mental disorders. However, little is known about whether real-world treatments produce similar benefits. This study examines whether mental health service utilization and treatment for mental disorders among adolescents from the general population is prospectively associated with a reduced risk of future mental disorders, measured at a one-year follow-up.
METHODS:
This epidemiological cohort study included a total sample of N = 1,649 adolescents aged 14–21 years, randomly selected (stratified by age and sex) from the population registry of the city of Dresden, Germany. Participants underwent a face-to-face interview using a standardized diagnostic tool (DIA-X-5/D-CIDI) to assess DSM-5 mental disorders at baseline and at 1-year-follow-up. Lifetime service utilization for mental health issues was assessed during the final section of the baseline interview. Sample weights were applied during data analysis to enhance the representativeness with regard to age and sex. Missing data were imputed using multiple chained imputation.
RESULTS:
Logistic regression analyses indicated that, compared to adolescents without a lifetime mental disorder at baseline, the presence of any lifetime mental disorder at baseline was associated with a higher likelihood of experiencing any mental disorder during the one-year follow-up, regardless of whether adolescents had sought help for mental health issues, had received pharmacological and/or psychotherapeutic treatment, or rated the treatment as successful.
CONCLUSIONS:
Mental health care service utilization and treatment do not appear to mitigate the increased risk of future mental disorders in adolescents from the general population, even when treatments are perceived as successful. These findings suggest that substantial efforts are needed to improve public health, either by enhancing the effectiveness of treatment or by implementing preventative measures.
In Germany, there is a high utilization of mental health care services among youth. Randomized controlled trials have provided substantial evidence for the efficacy of both pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments for mental disorders. However, little is known about whether real-world treatments produce similar benefits. This study examines whether mental health service utilization and treatment for mental disorders among adolescents from the general population is prospectively associated with a reduced risk of future mental disorders, measured at a one-year follow-up.
METHODS:
This epidemiological cohort study included a total sample of N = 1,649 adolescents aged 14–21 years, randomly selected (stratified by age and sex) from the population registry of the city of Dresden, Germany. Participants underwent a face-to-face interview using a standardized diagnostic tool (DIA-X-5/D-CIDI) to assess DSM-5 mental disorders at baseline and at 1-year-follow-up. Lifetime service utilization for mental health issues was assessed during the final section of the baseline interview. Sample weights were applied during data analysis to enhance the representativeness with regard to age and sex. Missing data were imputed using multiple chained imputation.
RESULTS:
Logistic regression analyses indicated that, compared to adolescents without a lifetime mental disorder at baseline, the presence of any lifetime mental disorder at baseline was associated with a higher likelihood of experiencing any mental disorder during the one-year follow-up, regardless of whether adolescents had sought help for mental health issues, had received pharmacological and/or psychotherapeutic treatment, or rated the treatment as successful.
CONCLUSIONS:
Mental health care service utilization and treatment do not appear to mitigate the increased risk of future mental disorders in adolescents from the general population, even when treatments are perceived as successful. These findings suggest that substantial efforts are needed to improve public health, either by enhancing the effectiveness of treatment or by implementing preventative measures.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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