Interpersonal Trust Reported by Adolescents Living with Mental Illness: A Scoping Review

Although adolescents experiencing mental illness lack trust in others, potentially influencing their help-seeking behaviors, no broad review of trust in adolescents living with mental illness exists. This scoping review examines what can be learned about interpersonal trust from adolescents living with mental illness. More specifically, the aim of this study was to investigate reports from adolescents with mental illness regarding: (1) factors they perceive influence their trust, (2) factors statistically associated with trust, and (3) interventions that support trust. This review adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). Articles were identified through database and hand searches, with 89 of the 2010 identified articles included. Frequency counts and content analysis revealed several factors which fostered trust e.g., worker reliability. Trust was associated with protective factors such as quality of communication, and negatively with mental illness. Thirteen articles reported on trust outcomes of interventions, with most reporting positive outcomes. This review revealed adolescents’ perceptions of factors associated with trust, which may assist carers/professionals to build trust with them. Research is needed into links between trust and the quality of adolescents’ communication, and interventions targeting trust in adolescents with mental illness.