Thursday 22 May 2025 | 11:00-12:15

Format: Workshop

Stream: Populations

Content filters: Co-presented with patients, service users or carers

PART ONE: Always the right door: Taking learning and improvement community approach to tackling health inequities in children and young people’s mental health

Half of all mental health problems are established by the age of 14, and 75% by the age of 24, which is why the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people is a key priority.1 Creating learning healthcare systems that utilise socio-technical principles avoid pitfalls such as ‘healthcare determinism’ and ensure that the healthcare system is designed by its population, for its population.2 But how do we ensure that these voices transcend policy at a system level, where there is the most agency for change? This session will enlighten the audience with one of the biggest success stories of the BOOST initiative, when the community convened to undertake a summit on the theme of ‘Always the Right Door’. Aiming to deliver improvements to help children, young people and their families to get to the right mental health support at the right time.

In this session, participants will:

• Explore the role of integrated care systems in promoting health equity
  Understand the significance of integrating youth voices in mental health service design

Kathryn Grayling North East & North Cumbria Integrated Care Board; England

Suzanne Howes Lived Experience of suicide loss – Co-lead for North East Speak Their Name; England

 

PART TWO: Virtual Interventions and Community Connections for Indigenous Youth (VICCIY): Exploring the metaverse of possibilities of using virtual reality to support mental health and well-being

In partnership with rural and remote northern Canadian communities, Saskatchewan Polytechnic (Sask Polytech) researchers are exploring how virtual reality (VR) can be used to promote the mental health and well-being of Indigenous youths. The goal of this study is to assess existing mental health supports, identify service gaps, and explore how VR can be used to enhance mental health resources. This session brings together the perspectives of the lead researcher and involved youth and community members as they share their experiences of engaging in community-based research and delve into the potential this initiative holds in pushing the boundaries of a virtual presence in the domain of mental health care.

• Recognize the importance of partnerships when engaging in research with Indigenous communities
  Discuss the potential benefits of incorporating VR to enhance mental health care in rural and remote Indigenous communities


• Consider potential ways of integrating culture and tradition within innovative approaches to mental health care

Lindsey Boechler Saskatchewan Polytechnic; Canada