title: Understanding urban child mental health l service use: two studies of child, family, and environmental correlates.
abstract: The results of two studies identifying child, family, and environmental correlates of initial and ongoing mental health service use by urban minority children and their families are presented. In the first study, data from a sample of 405 adult caregivers of children revealed no predictive power of child demographic characteristics in relation to initial or ongoing service usage. Only parental ratings of child impulsive-hyperactive behavior were significantly related to ongoing involvement in services. In the second study, a new sample of 100 urban caregivers of children was interviewed. Parental discipline efficacy and attitudes about mental health services were found to relate significantly to initial attendance. Relative to ongoing service use, level of family stress, presence of another adult in the home, and parental discipline efficacy were significant. Implications for research and child mental health service organizations are highlighted.
authors.affiliation: Columbia University School of Social Work, 622 West 113t Street, New York, NY 10025, USA. mm934@columbia.edu
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: McKay
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pennington
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Lynn
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McCadam
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D012931:Social Environment; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014600:Utilization Review; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data