Young people, caregivers, and professionals are invited to share what they know about mental health

The Child Mind Institute, George Washington University, in the United States, and Hospital Moinhos de Vento, in Brazil, are conducting a qualitative study to better understand how available mental health data are collected and used to inform practices, decision-making, and the development of public policies aimed at young people.

The study (click here to apply) is being conducted with participants from the Brazilian cities of Recife (PE) and Porto Alegre (RS), including young people, caregivers, health and education professionals, and policymakers. The goal is to gain insights into how data can be improved to generate greater impact in promoting and delivering mental health care for adolescents and young people in Brazil.

We aim to understand how people interpret and engage with mental health information, such as data, statistics, and research findings; what they think about the tools and instruments used to assess mental health; and what the pathway to seeking help looks like—what encourages it, what creates barriers, who provides support, and how decisions are made about where to seek care.

Interviews will be conducted individually, remotely, and confidentially. The interviews will last approximately one hour and will be open, welcoming, and respectful conversations, with no right or wrong answers, as the aim is to understand participants’ experiences, perceptions, and ideas from their own perspectives. All participation is voluntary, and participants may withdraw at any time without any consequences.

The study has been approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Hospital Moinhos de Vento.

Beyond the online interviews, there are presential workshops, with a collaborative game about decision making e use of data, followed by a group debate.

Who can participate?

Young people and adolescents (ages 13 to 24) who have sought or received some form of mental health care in different contexts, such as psychotherapy, psychiatric care, CAPS (Psychosocial Care Centers), SUS (Brazil’s public health system), private providers, community or school-based programs, social initiatives, or alternative practices.

Parents, family members, or legal guardians who support adolescents and/or young people in mental health care processes are invited to share how they perceive young people’s mental health needs; how they use information, guidance, and data to make decisions; the main challenges and sources of support in accessing services, professionals, and mental health resources; and how the instruments, assessments, and guidance they receive do (or do not) make sense in everyday care.

Health and education professionals, and public policymakers, to share their perspective on what facilitates and what hinders mental health care for adolescents and young people; the use of instruments, protocols, policies, and evaluation and intervention strategies; and opportunities for improvement to make care more accessible, ethical, effective, and aligned with the sociocultural realities of Brazilian youth.

How to participate

Individuals interested in participating are invited to fill a short form by clicking here. To obtain more information, they may contact:

Anna Carolina Viduani
📞 Phone/WhatsApp: +55 51 98569-6985
📧 Email: anna.andrade@hmv.org.br