Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

II. Utilization of Mental Health Services in a Tri-Ethnic Sample of Adolescents

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

Abstract

In our study of a tri-ethnic sample of 2528junior and high school students, we examined utilizationof outpatient mental health services in relation to anumber of variables cited in the literature as leading to potential biases and barriers tocare. These include: age, gender, ethnicity,socioeconomic status, family size and composition, andlinguistic fluency in Hispanic youth. The impact ofservice availability was examined through differencesbetween the two regions studied: a well-served region ofcoastal southeast Texas and the markedly under servedlower Rio Grande Valley. The impact of symptomatology was evaluated using the total problem score onthe Youth Self Report by Achenbach. Hispanic youth hadsignificantly lower mean service utilization thannon-Hispanic whites. Multiple regression analyses demonstrated that socioeconomic status andfamily composition had a greater relative impact onutilization than all other non-clinical factors, bothfor the total sample as well as for the Hispanic sample. Ethnicity may play a significant role in childmental health services utilization through its closeassociation to socioeconomic status.

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

Access this article

Log in via an institution

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

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  • Cohen, R., Parmelee, D., Irwin, L., Weisz, J., Howard, P., Purcell, P., & Best, A. (1990) Characteristics of Children and Adolescents in a Psychiatric Hospital and a Correctional Facility. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 29,6, 909–913.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Costello, J., Burns, B., Angold, A., & Leaf, P. (1993) How Can Epidemiology Improve Mental Health Services for Children and Adolescents. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 32,6, 1106–1114.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cross, T, Bazron, B., Dennis, K., and Isaacs, M. (1989) Towards a Culturally Competent System of Care.Washington, D.C.: CASSP Technical Assistance Center, Georgetown University Child Development Center.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cuffe, S.P., Waller, J., Cuccaro, M., Pumariega, A.J., & Garrison, C.Z. (1995) Race and Gender Differences in the Treatment of Psychiatric Disorders in Young Adolescents. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescents, 34,11, 1536–1543.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fabrega, H., Ulrich, R., & Mezzich, J.E. (1993) Do Caucasians and Black Adolescents Differ at Psychiatric Intake? Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 32,2, 407–413.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoberman, H.M. (1992) Ethnic Minority Status and Adolescent Mental Health Utilization. Journal of Mental Health Administration, 19,3, 246–267.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kaplan, S.L. & Busner, J. (1992) A Note on Racial Bias in the Admission of Children and Adolescents to State mental Health Facilities Versus Correctional Facilities in New York. American Journal of Psychiatry, 149,6, 768–772.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kilgus, M.D., Pumariega, A.J., & Cuffe, S.P. (1995) Race and Diagnosis in Adolescent Psychiatric Inpatients. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 34,1, 67–72.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mason, M.A. & Gibbs, J.T. (1992) Patterns of Adolescent Hospitalization: Implications for Social Policy. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 62,3, 447–457.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pumariega, A.J., Atkins, D.L., Dentzler, S., Montgomery, L., Rogers, K., and Caesar, R. (1995) Psychopathology and Services Utilization in Incarcerated versus Hospitalized Youth. Scientific Proceedings of the Fifth Annual Conference on State Mental Health Agency Research. Alexandria, Va.: NASMHPD Research Institute, pp. 83–85.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pumariega, A.J., Holzer, C.E., & Nguyen, H. (1991) Cross-Ethnic Comparison of Behavioral Symptomatology. Proceedings of the 39th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Washington, D.C.: American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Volume VIII, New Research Abstract No. 119.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zahner, G., Pawelkiewicz, W., De Francesco, J., & Adnopoz, J. (1992) Children’s Mental Health Service Needs and Utilization Patterns in an Urban Community: An Epidemiological Assessment. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 31,5, 951–960, 1992.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. Andres J. Pumariega
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Saundra Glover
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Charles E. Holzer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Huang Nguyen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Pumariega, A.J., Glover, S., Holzer, C.E. et al. II. Utilization of Mental Health Services in a Tri-Ethnic Sample of Adolescents. Community Ment Health J 34, 145–156 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018788901831

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018788901831

Keywords

Search

Navigation