Peer-reviewed article
Working with goals in youth mental health and substance use service: A review of current practice guidelines and recommendations
Madison Nugent, Drew Burchell, Jill Chorney, Sharon Clark, Mick Cooper et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-sonnet-5-5This narrative review looked at how practice guidelines and academic papers advise professionals to work with young people aged 10–25 on goals in mental health and substance use services. It analysed 53 publications from 2003 to 2023. The review found four themes: semi-structured goal-setting approaches, youth- and family-centred engagement, how goals are framed within therapy, and a small but growing focus on equity, diversity, inclusion and cultural safety. The authors conclude that practice should move away from standardised, clinician-driven approaches toward more inclusive, collaborative and youth-informed ones.
Key points
- No cohesive, equity-centred guidance currently exists for working with youth on their goals.
- Fifty-three publications from 2003 to 2023 were analysed using thematic and content analysis.
- One theme was semi-structured and strategic goal-setting, including routine outcome measures and progress monitoring.
- Another theme was youth- and family-centred engagement strategies.
- Emphasis on embedding equity, diversity, inclusion and cultural safety in goal practices is nascent but growing.
Limitations
The abstract describes a narrative review of guidelines and literature, so it cannot show whether any goal-setting approach improves outcomes for young people. It also gives no detail on how the included sources were assessed for quality, and the age range (10–25) extends beyond childhood.
Abstract
Abstract Background Working with goals is a critical yet often overlooked aspect of youth mental health and addictions care, with the potential to strengthen therapeutic relationships, support shared decision‐making, and improve outcomes. Despite its importance, there is no cohesive, equity‐centered guidance for working with youth on their goals. This review critically examines existing practice principles for working with youth aged 10–25 on goals within mental health and addictions services, with a particular focus on how equity, diversity, and inclusion are, or are not, embedded in these recommended approaches. Methods A narrative review methodology was employed to synthesize insights from both academic literature and clinical guidebooks published between 2003 and 2023. Searches were conducted across PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and supplemented with general web searches to capture diverse perspectives from research and practice. Fifty‐three publications were selected and analyzed using thematic and content analysis via MAXQDA software. Results Four key themes were identified: (1) semi‐structured and strategic approaches to goal‐setting, including the use of routine outcome measures and progress monitoring; (2) youth‐ and family‐centered engagement strategies; (3) conceptual framing of goals within therapeutic processes; and (4) a nascent but growing emphasis on embedding EDI and cultural safety into goal‐oriented practices. Conclusion Findings underscore the importance of moving beyond standardized, clinician‐driven approaches to more inclusive, collaborative, and youth‐informed goal practices.