Waiting for Help: Timely Access to Psychological Support for Young Adults Exposed to Parental Substance Misuse
Bastien Michel, Soeren Albeck Nielsen, Morten Hesse, Kristine Roemer Thomsen, Marianne Simonsen
TLDR
Immediate access to psychological support for young adults exposed to parental substance misuse leads to lasting psychological health improvements.
Key contributions
- Conducted a randomized waitlist-controlled trial in Denmark on mental health access.
- Found immediate psychological support significantly improves short-run psychological health.
- Gains in psychological health persist 3-4 years, even after delayed groups receive treatment.
- Showed limited average effects on broader health or labor market outcomes.
Why it matters
This paper provides causal evidence on the importance of timely access to mental health care in capacity-constrained settings. It shows immediate intervention for vulnerable young adults yields lasting psychological benefits, informing policy on treatment timing.
Original Abstract
Access to mental health care is often rationed through waiting lists, yet there is limited causal evidence on the consequences of delayed access. We study whether eliminating waiting time for psychological support improves outcomes for young adults who grew up with parental substance misuse. Using a randomized waitlist-controlled trial in Denmark combined with survey and administrative data, we find that immediate access leads to sizable short-run improvements in psychological health. These gains persist three to four years after randomization, even after both groups have received the intervention. By contrast, we find limited evidence of large average effects on broader health or labor market outcomes. Our results highligth the importance of treatment timing in capacity-constrained settings.
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