NCJ Number
195419
Journal
Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Volume: 41 Issue: 6 Dated: June 2002 Pages: 731-738
Date Published
June 2002
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This study explored barriers to mental health care and potential intervention points for the children of Baltimore (Maryland) parents who believed their children needed mental health services.
Abstract
Data were obtained from a first-grade, prevention-intervention project conducted n Baltimore. 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. More than 35 percent of the 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 percent, 23.3 percent, and 25.9 percent, respectively). Although parenting difficulties were associated with all barriers, additional responsibilities related to attendance at meetings were associated only with structural barriers. The study concluded that 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. Attention should be given to programs that address the needs of families who are most affected by their child's psychosocial problems. 4 tables and 30 references