Racial/ethnic disparities in the use of mental health services in poverty areas.
OBJECTIVE
This study examined racial/ethnic disparities in mental health service access and use at different poverty levels.


METHODS
We compared demographic and clinical characteristics and service use patterns of Whites, Blacks, Hispanics, and Asians living in low-poverty and high-poverty areas. Logistic regression models were used to assess service use patterns of minority racial/ethnic groups compared with Whites in different poverty areas.


RESULTS
Residence in a poverty neighborhood moderates the relationship between race/ethnicity and mental health service access and use. Disparities in using emergency and inpatient services and having coercive referrals were more evident in low-poverty than in high-poverty areas.


CONCLUSIONS
Neighborhood poverty is a key to understanding racial/ethnic disparities in the use of mental health services.
School of Social Welfare, University of California at Berkeley, 209 Haviland Hall No. 7400, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA. jchow99@uclink.berkeley.edu
Julian Chun-Chung
JC
Chow
Kim
K
Jaffee
Lonnie
L
Snowden
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001213:Asian / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005843:Geography; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000208:ethnology*; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009518:New York / Q000453:epidemiology; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000208:ethnology*; D011204:Poverty Areas; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000145:classification*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000208:ethnology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data