Adolescents' Self-Engagement in Mental Health Treatment: A Concept Analysis.

Abstract

Adolescence is characterized by physical and psychological changes and is a time when crises and mental health issues are prone to occur. For adolescents in mental health treatment, self-engagement is essential for recovery. This recovery process is characterized by the improvement of psychological well-being and the restoration of active participation in one's life. Thus, this study aims to clarify the conceptual structure of adolescents' self-engagement in mental health treatment and to explore its implications for nursing practice. Using Rodgers and Knafl's concept analysis approach, this study analyzed 31 papers on "adolescents' self-engagement in mental health treatment" published between 2015 and 2025. The analysis revealed three attributes (crisis coping, self-management skills, and initiative), three antecedents (therapeutic environment, improved self-awareness, and future orientation), and two consequences (early recovery and improvement in psychological well-being). "Adolescents' self-engagement in mental health treatment" is defined as the process by which adolescents, deepening their self-awareness and cultivating a future orientation within a developmentally sensitive therapeutic environment, learn crisis coping strategies and enhance their initiative and self-management skills in order to achieve early recovery and well-being. The conceptualization of self-engagement in adolescents is useful not only for promoting early recovery but also for establishing a foundation upon which adolescents can pursue self-realization while maintaining their well-being.