Racial disparities in mental health service use by adolescents who thought about or attempted suicide.
Differences in rates and predictors of mental health service use among 2,226 Black, Hispanic, and White adolescents (aged 12-17) who reported recent suicidal thoughts or an attempt were examined. Black adolescents were 65% (OR = .65, p < .05), and Hispanic adolescents were 55% (OR = .55, p < .001), as likely as White adolescents to report service use, even when controlling for need for care and ability to secure services. Suicide attempt and psychiatric symptoms each interacted with race to increase the odds of service use uniquely for White adolescents. Results indicate that racial disparities characterize adolescents' mental health service use even when suicide risk increases.
Freedenthal
Stacey
S
Graduate School of Social work at the University of Denver, Denver, CO 80208, USA. sfreeden@du.edu
D000293:Adolescent; D016497:Adolescent Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000628:therapy*; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013850:Thinking; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology*