Appointment keeping
disorientation, depression, anxiety
TRANSITION
The median TRAQ appointment keeping subscale score of 2.86 represented the lowest score of all five subscales in the phase 1 sample. The phase 2 results are in alignment with this finding and help to explain why individuals with co‐occurring chronic health and mental health conditions may exhibit lower readiness in this domain. The majority of phase 2 participants expressed the impact of their mental health symptoms, namely anxiety, disorientation and ‘feeling stuck’, on their appointment attendance and appointment keeping capacities (see Figure Joint display of TRAQ appointment keeping subscale results. IQR, interquartile range; TRAQ, Transition Readiness Assessment Questionnaire.One youth, for instance, described a lack of motivation to write down appointments and develop a routine for tracking clinic visits as a result of her depression. Taking on this responsibility for the first time in the adult healthcare system without the support of her parents, while simultaneously coping with mental health challenges, complicated the process of tracking and scheduling appointments independently. Another phase 2 participant described the commonly held sentiment of being ‘a little bit scared’ on her way to her first adult neurology clinic appointment. She then elaborated on how her anxiety exacerbated these symptoms and created feelings of pressure regarding the transition to a new provider. This resulted in the youth getting disoriented and overwhelmed as she navigated public transit, adding to the pre‐existing fears associated with attending an appointment independently.The only TRAQ question which addresses the concept of getting to and from appointments as youth prepare to take ownership over this domain is ‘Do you arrange for your ride to medical appointments?’.