ABSTRACT
There is an increasing recognition of the need for early identification and intervention for youth mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, and substance use. These problems are of growing community concern given their high prevalence [1-3]. The field of youth mental health research now faces a major task of translating a growing body of research into effective clinical practice and service development [4, 5]. Youth mental health disorders are associated with increased health problems, and with problems in family functioning [6-10]. Recent estimates of treatment for depression suggest that only 20% to 30% of the years lived with disability due to depression are averted by current treatment programs, suggesting room for substantial improvement in either service delivery or
effective prevention of new cases of depression [11, 12]. One means of enhancing the efficacy of interventions is to shift the focus from outcomes to issues of implementation which arise in the translation of clinical findings to service delivery systems. In doing so interventions can be developed in directions which are well aligned with relevant government policy, as well as being acceptable and engaging for client groups.
