Although mental health problems represent the largest burden of disease in young people, access to mental health care has been poor for this group. Integrated youth health care services have been proposed as an innovative solution. Integrated care joins up physical health, mental health and social care services, ideally in one location, so that a young person receives holistic care in a coordinated way. It can be implemented in a range of ways. A review of the available literature identified a range of studies reporting the results of evaluation research into integrated care services. The best available data indicate that many young people who may not otherwise have sought help are accessing these mental health services, and there are promising outcomes for most in terms of symptomatic and functional recovery. Where evaluated, young people report having benefited from and being highly satisfied with these services. Some young people, such as those with more severe presenting symptoms and those who received fewer treatment sessions, have failed to benefit, indicating a need for further integration with more specialist care. Efforts are underway to articulate the standards and core features to which integrated care services should adhere, as well as to further evaluate outcomes. This will guide the ongoing development of best practice models of service delivery.

Purpose This longitudinal study examines the association between homelessness and injection drug use initiation among a cohort of street-involved youth in a setting of high prevalence crystal methamphetamine use. Methods Data were derived from the At-Risk Youth Study, a prospective cohort of street-involved youth aged 14 to 26 recruited between September 2005 and November 2011. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to identify factors independently associated with time to injection initiation. Results Among 422 street-youth who had never injected at baseline, 77 injection initiation events were observed during follow-up. Homelessness was independently associated with injection initiation in multivariate Cox regression (Relative Hazard: 1.80 [95% CI: 1.13–2.87]) after adjusting for crystal methamphetamine use and other potential confounders. Conclusions These findings highlight that homelessness is a key risk factor for injection initiation among street-involved youth. Supportive housing interventions for street-youth may help prevent injection drug use initiation among this high-risk population.

BackgroundThere is increasing emphasis on engaging youth in research about youth, their needs, experiences and preferences, notably in health services research. By engaging youth as full partners, research becomes more feasible and relevant, and the validity and richness of findings are enhanced. Consequently, researchers need guidance in engaging youth effectively. This study examines the experiences, needs and knowledge gaps of researchers.MethodsEighty‐four researchers interested in youth engagement training were recruited via snowball sampling. They completed a survey regarding their youth engagement experiences, attitudes, perceived barriers and capacity development needs. Data were analysed descriptively, and comparisons were made based on current engagement experience.ResultsParticipants across career stages and disciplines expressed an interest in increased capacity development for youth engagement. They had positive attitudes about the importance and value of youth engagement, but found it to be complex. Participants reported requiring practical guidance to develop their youth engagement practices and interest in a network of youth‐engaged researchers and on‐going training. Those currently engaging youth were more likely to report the need for greater appreciation of youth engagement by funders and institutions.ConclusionsEngaging youth in research has substantial benefits. However, skills in collaborating with youth to design, conduct and implement research have to be learned. Researchers need concrete training and networking opportunities to develop and maximize these skills. They also need mechanisms that formally acknowledge the value of engagement. Researchers and those promoting youth engagement in research are encouraged to consider these findings in their promotion and training endeavours.