Much of the reticence to acknowledge mental illness and its symptoms can be related to the profound sense of Stigma attached to these conditions.

It is important for the KeyWorker to bear in mind the fact that just to meet with the young person and their family constitutes a major intervention in the lives of this group of people, and one which (at least in their minds) is potentially shaming and damaging to future prospects for work, marriage, social life, etc.

In one's life as a mental health professional it is easy to underestimate how utterly 'foreign' our daily practices seem to most of the people that we work with (the questions we ask, the stories and experiences we listen to, the control we can exert over people's lives).

Engaging the young person voluntarily on an outpatient/outreach basis is, of course, the ideal. Various Engagement techniques can assist in this process.