Skip to main content
Log in

Use, Persistence, and Intensity: Patterns of Care for Children's Mental Health Across One Year

  • Published:
Community Mental Health Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper explores the use, persistence, andintensity of services for children's mental healthproblems across a variety of service sectors during aone year period. Data come from the Great SmokyMountains Study. Analyses focus on children's psychiatricsymptomatology and impairment, service use, and factorsthat may influence the relationship between psychiatricproblems and service use across a one year period. Findings show that approximately 20% ofchildren used some mental health services from somesector during the year. Child's symptomatology andcharacteristics of parents were associated with use and persistence of services. Parent'sperceptions of impact on the family were associated withservice use, persistence, and intensity.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  • Achenbach, T.M. & Edelbrock, C. (1983). Manual for-the Child Behavior Checklist and Child Behavior Profile. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aday, L.A. & Andersen, R. (1974). A framework for the study of access to medical care. Health Services Research, 208–220.

  • Andersen, R. & Newman, J.R. (1973). Societal and individual determinants of medical care utilization in the United States. Millbank Memorial Fund Quarterly, 51, 95–124.

    Google Scholar 

  • Andersen, R.M. (1995). Revisiting the behavioral model and access to medical care: Does it matter? Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 36, 1–10.

    Google Scholar 

  • Angold, A. & Costello, E.J. (1995). A test-retest reliability study of child-reported psychiatric symptoms and diagnoses using the child and adolescent psychiatric assessment (CAPA-C). Psychological Medicine, 25, 755–762.

    Google Scholar 

  • Angold, A., Messer, S.C., Stangl, D.K., Farmer, E.M.Z., Costello, E.J. & Burns, B.J. (1997). Perceived parental burden and service use for child and adolescent psychiatric disorders. American Journal of Public Health, in press.

  • Angold, A., Predergast, M., Cox, A., Harrington, A., Simonoff, E. & Rutter, M. (1995). The Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Assessment (CAPA). Psychological Medicine, 25, 739–753.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ascher, B.H., Farmer, E.M.Z., Burns, B.J. & Angold, A. (1996). The Child and Adolescent Services Assessment (CASA): Description and psychometrics, Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 4, 12–20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bird, H.R., Canino, G., Rubio-Stipec, M., Gould, M.S., Ribera, J., Sesman, M, Woodbury, M., Suertas-Goldman, S., Pagan, A., Sanchez-Lacay, A., & Moscoso, M. (1988). Estimates of the prevalence of childhood maladjustment in a community survey in Puerto Rico: The use of combined measures. Archives of General Psychiatry, 45, 1120–1126.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brandenburg, N., Friedman, R., & Silver, S. (1990). The epidemiology of childhood psychiatric disorders: Prevalence findings from recent studies, Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 29, 76–83.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bruns, E.J., Burchard, J.D. & Yoe, J.T. (1995). Evaluating the Vermont system of care: Outcomes associated with community-based wraparound services. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 4, 321–339.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burns, B.J., Costello, E.J., Angold, A., Tweed, D.L., Stangl, D.K., Farmer, E.M.Z. & Erkanli, A. (1995). Children's mental health service use across service sectors. Health Affairs, 14, 147–159.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burns, B.J., Farmer, E.M.Z., Angold, A., Costello, E.J. & Behar, L.B. (1996). A randomized trial of case management for youths with serious emotional disturbance. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 25, 476–486.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, P. & Hesselbart, C.S. (1993). Demographic factors in the use of children's mental health services. American Journal of Public Health, 83, 49–52.

    Google Scholar 

  • Costello, E.J., Angold, A, Burns, B.J., Erkanli, A., Stangl, D.K. & Tweed, D.L. (1996a). The Great Smoky Mountains Study of Youth: Functional impairment and severe emotional disturbance. Archives of General Psychiatry, 53, 1137–1143.

    Google Scholar 

  • Costello, E.J., Angold, A., Burns, B.J., Stangl, D.K., Tweed, D.L., Erkanli, A. & Worthman, C.M. (1996b). The Great Smoky Mountains Study of Youth: Goals, design, methods, and the prevalence of DSM-III-R disorders. Archives of General Psychiatry, 53, 1129–1136.

    Google Scholar 

  • Costello, E.J., Pescosolido, B.A., Angold, A., & Burns, B.J. (1997). A family network-based model of access to child mental health services. In J.P. Morrissey (Eds.), Social Networks and Mental Illness, Research in Community Mental Health (in press). Greenwich, CT: JAI.

    Google Scholar 

  • Farmer, E.M.Z., Angold, A., Burns, B.J. & Costello, E.J. (1994). Reliability of self-reported service use: Test-retest consistency of children's responses to the Child and Adolescent Services Assessment (CASA). Journal of Child and Family Studies, 3, 307–325.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jensen, P.S., Bloedau, L. & Davis. H. (1990). Children at risk: II. Risk factors and clinic utilization. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 29, 804–812.

    Google Scholar 

  • John, L.H., Offord, D.R., Boyle, M.H. & Racine, Y.A. (1995). Factors predicting use of mental health and social services by children 6–16 years old: Findings from the Ontario Child Health Study. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 65, 76–86.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnsen, M.C., Morrissey, J.P., & Calloway, M.O. (1996). Structure and change in child mental health service delivery networks. Journal of Community Psychology, 24, 275–289.

    Google Scholar 

  • Little, R.J.A. & Rubin, D.B. (1987). Statistical Analysis with Missing Data. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  • Messer, S.C., Angold, A., Costello, E.J., Burns, B.J., Farmer, E.M.Z. & Patrick, MKS. (1996). The Child and Adolescent Burden Assessment (CABA): Measuring the family impact of emotional and behavioral problems. International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research, 261–284.

  • Offord, D.R., Boyle, M.H., Szatmari, P., Rae-Grant, N.I., Links, P.S., Cadman, D.T., Byles, J.A., Crawford, J.W., Munroe-Blum, H., Byrne, C., Thomas, H. & Woodward, C.A. (1987). Ontario Child Health Study: II. Six-month prevalence of disorder and rates of service utilization. Archives of General Psychiatry, 44, 832–836.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pescosolido, B. & Kronenfeld, J.J. (1996). Health, illness, and healing in an uncertain era: Challenges from and for medical sociology. Journal of Health and Social Behavior.

  • Silver, S.E., Duchnowski, A., Kutash, K., Friedman, R.M., Eisen, M., Prange, M.E., Brandenburg, N.A. & Greenbaum, P.E. (1992). A comparison of children with serious emotional disturbances served in residential and school settings. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 1, 43–59.

    Google Scholar 

  • Staghezza-Jaramillo, B., Bird, H.R., Gould, M.S. & Canino, G. (1995). Mental health service utilization among Puerto Rican children ages 4 through 16. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 4, 399–418.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Farmer, E.M., Stangl, D.K., Burns, B.J. et al. Use, Persistence, and Intensity: Patterns of Care for Children's Mental Health Across One Year. Community Ment Health J 35, 31–46 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018743908617

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018743908617

Keywords

Navigation