TY - JOUR
T1 - Barriers to Children's Mental Health Services
AU - Owens, Pamela L.
AU - Hoagwood, Kimberly
AU - Horwitz, Sarah M.
AU - Leaf, Philip J.
AU - Poduska, Jeanne M.
AU - Kellam, Sheppard G.
AU - Ialongo, Nicholas S.
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2017 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2002/6
Y1 - 2002/6
N2 - Objective: To examine the characteristics associated with barriers to children's mental health services, focusing on the effect of children's psychosocial problems on parents. Method: Data come from a first-grade, prevention-intervention project conducted in Baltimore, Maryland. Analyses were restricted to 116 families who participated in seventh-grade interviews and indicated the index child needed services. The Services Assessment for Children and Adolescents was used to measure barriers to children's mental health services. Results: More than 35% of parents reported a barrier to mental health services. Types of barriers included those related to structural constraints, perceptions of mental health, and perceptions of services (20.7%, 23.3%, and 25.9%, respectively). Although parenting difficulties were associated with all barriers (structural: OR = 10.63, 95% CI: 2.37, 47.64; mental health: OR = 8.31, 95% CI: 1.99, 34.79; services: OR = 5.22, 95% CI: 1.56, 17.51), additional responsibilities related to attendance at meetings was associated only with structural barriers (OR = 5.49, 95% CI: 1.22, 24.59). Conclusions: Researchers and policymakers interested in increasing children's access to mental health services should consider strategies to reduce barriers related to perceptions about mental health problems and services, in addition to structural barriers. Particular attention should be given to programs that focus on the needs of families who are most affected by their child's psychosocial problems.
AB - Objective: To examine the characteristics associated with barriers to children's mental health services, focusing on the effect of children's psychosocial problems on parents. Method: Data come from a first-grade, prevention-intervention project conducted in Baltimore, Maryland. Analyses were restricted to 116 families who participated in seventh-grade interviews and indicated the index child needed services. The Services Assessment for Children and Adolescents was used to measure barriers to children's mental health services. Results: More than 35% of parents reported a barrier to mental health services. Types of barriers included those related to structural constraints, perceptions of mental health, and perceptions of services (20.7%, 23.3%, and 25.9%, respectively). Although parenting difficulties were associated with all barriers (structural: OR = 10.63, 95% CI: 2.37, 47.64; mental health: OR = 8.31, 95% CI: 1.99, 34.79; services: OR = 5.22, 95% CI: 1.56, 17.51), additional responsibilities related to attendance at meetings was associated only with structural barriers (OR = 5.49, 95% CI: 1.22, 24.59). Conclusions: Researchers and policymakers interested in increasing children's access to mental health services should consider strategies to reduce barriers related to perceptions about mental health problems and services, in addition to structural barriers. Particular attention should be given to programs that focus on the needs of families who are most affected by their child's psychosocial problems.
KW - Barriers to care
KW - Mental health
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U2 - 10.1097/00004583-200206000-00013
DO - 10.1097/00004583-200206000-00013
M3 - Article
C2 - 12049448
AN - SCOPUS:0036615774
VL - 41
SP - 731
EP - 738
JO - Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
JF - Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
SN - 0890-8567
IS - 6
ER -