Comparing Racial/Ethnic Differences in Mental Health Service Use Among High-Need Subpopulations Across Clinical and School-Based Settings

Received 12 September 2009; accepted 26 November 2009. published online 04 February 2010.

Abstract

Racial/ethnic differences in mental health service use among adolescents in clinic and school settings for three high-need populations are examined. Results indicate no racial/ethnic differences in school-based use contrasted with significant differences in clinical settings. Schools may be critical avenues for reduction of unmet mental health need among racial/ethnic minorities.

Keywords: Mental health services, Adolescents, Race/ethnicity, School, Clinic, Language, AAPI, Hispanic, Black

a Department of Health Policy and Management, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia

b Department of Health Services, UCLA School of Public Health, Los Angeles, California

c Department of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, California

Address correspondence to: Janet R. Cummings, Ph.D., Department of Health Policy and Management, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Road NE, Room 610, Atlanta, GA 30322.

PII: S1054-139X(09)00645-4

doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2009.11.221

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