Sexual health interventions for young people with mental disorders: a scoping review

Young People with Mental Disorders (YPMD) face unique challenges related to their sexual health and well-being. Interacting factors such as psychiatric symptoms, medication side effects, histories of trauma, hospitalization, and difficulties with social relationships can contribute to immediate and long-term vulnerability. Sexual health promotion interventions could be tailored to meet their specific needs. This scoping review aims to list and analyze sexual health promotion interventions developped for YPMD. Following PRISMA-ScR reporting guidelines, three databases, PubMed, PsycINFO, and CINAHL, were systematically searched. A standardized extraction grid was used to collect the data. The analysis focused on the description of the interventions, the strategies used, and the evaluation outcomes. A total of 21 interventions, published in English between 2006 and 2024, met the inclusion criteria. Six interventions target young people with unspecified disorders (28.6%), six (28.6%) those with substance use disorders, three (14.3%) those with emotional and behavioural disorders, two (9.5%) those with depressive disorders, two (9.5%) those with autism spectrum disorder, one (4.8%) for those with substance use disorder and depressive disorder, and one for professionals in child and adolescent psychiatry (4.8%). Findings indicate that interventions: (i) primarily focus on risk reduction rather than on promoting sexual health and well-being; (ii) rarely address the specific interactions between mental health disorders and sexuality; and (iii) involve limited engagement with stakeholders, including young people. Further research is needed to inform the development of interventions that centre the specific needs of this population and move beyond a risk-focused approach.