ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Psychopathology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1638296
This article is part of the Research TopicGlobal Youth Mental Health Crisis: Understanding Challenges and Advancing Solutions in PsychopathologyView all 3 articles
The Experience of transition preparation for children and adolescents with mental disorders in China: A Qualitative study
Provisionally accepted
- 1Pingdingshan University, Pingdingshan, China
- 2Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
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Background: Adolescence represents a critical transitional phase from pediatric to adult healthcare, during which young individuals with mental disorders encounter unique challenges; however, research on their transition experiences, particularly in non-English-speaking contexts such as China remains limited.Objectives：This study aims to explore the transition preparation experiences of adolescents with mental disorders in China as they move from pediatric to adult healthcare.Methods: Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 children and adolescents diagnosed with mental disorders in China, and the data were analyzed using interpretive phenomenological analysis.The study identified five primary themes related to the transition experiences of children and adolescents with mental disorders: (1) a discrepancy between transitional awareness and action; (2) gaps in transitional care throughout the healthcare transition process; (3) multidimensional needs within transitional care; (4) a contradiction between desire for self-management of illness and limited capacity; and (5) the dual attributes of family support, encompassing both enabling and constraining aspects.The study underscores the concerning transition readiness of adolescents with psychiatric disorders in China, marked by complex challenges and diverse needs, while highlighting the dual role of family support as both a motivating and obstructive force.
Keywords: 初级保健护理, 过渡, 青少年, 心理健康, 定性研究
Received: 30 May 2025; Accepted: 08 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Miao, Li, Wang, Zhou, Li, Zhang and Xu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Juan Li, Pingdingshan University, Pingdingshan, China
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