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Referral sources, diagnoses, and service types of youth in public outpatient mental health care: A focus on ethnic minorities

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Abstract

Racial/ethnic variations in clinical and service delivery characteristics among youth in public outpatient mental health services were examined using data from San Diego County mental health service programs for fiscal year 1996 to 1997 (N=3,962). Differences in referral sources, primary diagnoses, and service types were investigated for three racial/ethnic groups (African Americans, Asian/Pacific Islander Americans, and Latinos) compared to non-Hispanic whites. Controlling for age, gender, functional impairment, and prior service use, significant differences by race/ethnicity were found for all three variables studied. Possible explanations for these variations and future directions for research are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of California, San Diego

    May Yeh PhD (Adjunct Assistant Professor of Psychiatry), Richard Hough PhD (Co-Director) & Ann Garland PhD (Associate Director)

  2. Child and Adolescent Services Research Center, Children's Hospital and Health Center San Diego, 3020 Children's Way MC5033, 92123, San Diego, CA

    May Yeh PhD (Adjunct Assistant Professor of Psychiatry), Kristen McCabe PhD (Research Scientist), Michael Hurlburt PhD (Research Scientist), Richard Hough PhD (Co-Director), Andrea Hazen PhD (Research Scientist), Shirley Culver LCSW (Associate Director), Ann Garland PhD (Associate Director) & John Landsverk PhD (Director)

  3. University of San Diego, USA

    Kristen McCabe PhD (Research Scientist), Richard Hough PhD (Co-Director) & John Landsverk PhD (Director)

Authors
  1. May Yeh PhD
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  2. Kristen McCabe PhD
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  3. Michael Hurlburt PhD
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  4. Richard Hough PhD
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  5. Andrea Hazen PhD
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  6. Shirley Culver LCSW
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  7. Ann Garland PhD
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  8. John Landsverk PhD
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Correspondence to May Yeh PhD.

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Yeh, M., McCabe, K., Hurlburt, M. et al. Referral sources, diagnoses, and service types of youth in public outpatient mental health care: A focus on ethnic minorities. The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research 29, 45–60 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02287831

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