ArticlePloS one2022
'You're on the waiting list': An interpretive phenomenological analysis of young adults' experiences of waiting lists within mental health services in the UK.
Article in PloS one, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 79 papers, 8 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The trial behind it
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Who cites it
79 citing papers in PubMed, 8 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Economic effectiveness of pharmacogenomics-guided prescribing for psychiatric disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis.The pharmacogenomics journal · 2026Pooled it
- Modifiers in Effects of Combined Pharmacotherapy and Psychotherapy versus Pharmacotherapy Alone for Adult Depression: An Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis.Psychotherapy and psychosomatics · 2026Pooled it
- Barriers and Facilitators to The Involvement of Under-Represented Children and Young People (aged 8-25) in Mental Health Research - a Systematic Review.Clinical child and family psychology review · 2025Pooled it
- Optimal intensity and dose of exercise to improve university students' mental health: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of 48 randomized controlled trials.European journal of applied physiology · 2025Pooled it
- Effectiveness of physical activity interventions on undergraduate students' mental health: systematic review and meta-analysis.Health promotion international · 2024Pooled it
- Waiting-list interventions for children and young people using child and adolescent mental health services: a systematic review.BMJ mental health · 2024Pooled it
- Self-Management of Subclinical Common Mental Health Disorders (Anxiety, Depression and Sleep Disorders) Using Wearable Devices.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Pooled it
- Addressing mental health need after COVID-19: a systematic review of remote EMDR therapy studies as an emerging option.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2023Pooled it
- "Accessible and Acceptable" Drop-In Mental Health Services for Children With Long-Term Conditions: A Mixed-Methods Exploratory Analysis of Integrated Services From a Health Equity Perspective.Clinical child psychology and psychiatry · 2026Trial
- Early Evaluation of IMAGINATOR 2.0 Intervention Targeting Self-Harm in Young People: Single-Arm Feasibility Trial.JMIR formative research · 2026Trial
- Exploring holistic care needs in paediatric and teenage molecular radiotherapy: a parent and carer perspective.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026Article
- Article
- Wellbeing While Waiting: Effectiveness and implementation of youth social prescribing for young people awaiting CAMHS support.European child & adolescent psychiatry · 2026Article
- "Share Your Trauma… and Make It Funny": Comedy as Catharsis and Community-Building in LGBTQ+ Mental Wellbeing and Resilience.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- From profiles to precision: incorporating the Psychosocial Assessment Tool (PAT) and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) to inform treatment planning in outpatient psychiatry.European child & adolescent psychiatry · 2026Article
- Youth Mental Health in Vulnerable Communities: Barriers, Facilitators, and Place-Based Solutions-A Situational Analysis from England's Southeast Coast.Journal of prevention (2022) · 2026Article
- Experiences of youth and caregivers waiting for mental health services in the UK: a qualitative study to inform policy and practice.European child & adolescent psychiatry · 2026Article
- Where are all the Services: Mapping Community-Based Services for Canadian Autistic Youth with Co-occurring Mental Health Conditions.Journal of autism and developmental disorders · 2026Article
- Commercial and Corporate Provision of Healthcare, Capitalism and the State.Sociology of health & illness · 2026Article
- Young People's Satisfaction With and Perceived Impact of a Multichannel Mental Health Helpline During and After COVID-19 Pandemic: Mixed Methods Analysis of Cross-Sectional Survey Data.JMIR formative research · 2026Article
19 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Waiting lists in mental health services are currently considered too long. Lengthy waits of up to 18 weeks are commonly reported in the UK. Waiting lists have long been associated with a variety of negative psychological responses, however there is little understanding behind young adults' personal experiences of such delays within mental health services. The current study aimed to explore young adults' experiences of waiting lists in mental healthcare in the UK. Seven young adults were interviewed in the current study (aged 19-22). Interpretive phenomenological analysis was utilised to explore participant accounts. Three super-ordinate themes were generated: Reliance on Alternative Methods of Support; Inability to Function Sufficiently; and Emergence of Negative Beliefs, Emotions and Thoughts. Participants primarily reported a variety of negative psychological and behavioural consequences associated with waiting lists in mental health services, as well as exacerbated existing physical and psychological health issues. In accordance with the limited number of previous studies, waiting lists are considered by patients to be barriers to mental health support and intervention. Future direction is advised.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.