Identifying difficulties in interpersonal trust and language skills in adolescents experiencing mental illness has implications for mental health interventions.
Angela Clarke1 1Queensland Health, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Abstract
Background: Adolescents face increased vulnerability to mental illness, potentially impacting social, emotional, and academic development. Mental illness in adolescence can have long-term impacts, persisting into adulthood. Given this, allied health professionals (AHPs) need to understand what factors help or hinder adolescents to access mental health interventions. This study discusses two such factors – interpersonal trust and language skills. Trust can influence whether an adolescent seeks help for mental health difficulties, and whether they develop a therapeutic relationship. Language skills can impact therapeutic engagement as most mental health interventions are delivered verbally and require adolescents to engage in conversation to describe their experiences. Purpose: The first aim was to compare adolescents with and without mental illness on interpersonal trust, vocabulary development, communication quality, social problem-solving, attachment, and mentalization (reflecting on mental states). A secondary aim was to investigate whether adolescents’ language skills were associated with interpersonal trust. Method: Seventy-eight adolescents (16-18 years) completed standardised language measures and self-report questionnaires. Result: Adolescents recruited from an outreach mental health service reported significantly poorer vocabulary, poorer quality of communication with parents, poorer trust in parents, greater attachment anxiety/avoidance, and poorer reflective functioning. Expressive vocabulary skills were significantly correlated with trust in mothers amongst adolescents with mental illness. Conclusion: AHPs need to be cognisant of interpersonal trust and language skills in adolescents with mental illness. Interventions must be delivered in ways that build trust and minimise the impact of language difficulties. Practical suggestions are identified for ways AHPs can build trust and support language skills in adolescents with mental illness.
Biography
Angela has 27 years’ experience as a mental health speech pathologist. She is currently the Acting Discipline Director of CYMHS Speech Pathology, supporting mental health speech pathologist throughout Queensland. Most of Angela’s clinical work has been with high-risk, difficult-to-engage adolescents in both speech pathology and case management roles. Angela has research interests in attachment, interpersonal trust, language and social communication, and mentalization, and completed her PhD in 2022.