Abstract
Young people are sharing their experiences of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) on the popular social media application TikTok. At the time of writing (March, 2023), the hashtag #camhs had been viewed over 648 million times, meaning online representations of CAMHS are being seen by a large audience. Young people who view critical videos about CAMHS may be deterred from seeking professional mental health support in future. This is important, given the sustained high rates of mental health difficulties amongst young people. Access to timely and effective support is key in preventing the escalation and continuation of mental health problems into adulthood.
This thesis consists of two empirical papers using different types of thematic analysis. The first paper aimed to explore how CAMHS is represented in a sample of 100 #camhs TikTok videos using framework thematic analysis. The analysis suggested that CAMHS is represented as a trauma-uninformed service where adults are powerful and young people are denied confidentiality, validation, and person-centred help. The second paper aimed to explore how young people make sense of #camhs TikTok videos, particularly in relation to professional mental health help-seeking intentions. Two focus groups were conducted where young people were shown a sample of #camhs videos. Their discussions were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. The participants empathised with the video creators and, despite acknowledging variation in the representations of CAMHS, appeared to experience the videos as a warning to stay away from CAMHS. Implications for clinical practice are discussed.