Mental health services: use and disparity among diverse college students.
OBJECTIVE
In this empirical study, the authors examined (1) actual use of counseling for emotional problems and (2) the assumptions that ethnicity, sex, social class, and psychological distress are associated with disparities in use of counseling.


METHODS
Participants were 1,773 diverse undergraduate students at an urban university.


METHODS
The authors collected data via self-administered questionnaires between 1999 and 2005; they used a cross-sectional correlational research design, including analysis of variance statistical procedures.


RESULTS
Students' level of counseling use (10%) was similar to that estimated for a national college sample. Students reporting higher levels of distress were more likely to use counseling; however, more than three-fourths of students who reported clinically significant levels of distress had not received counseling.


CONCLUSIONS
The authors observed no disparities in use of mental health services in terms of sex, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.
Rosenthal
Beth
B
Department of Social Sciences at York College, The City University of New York, New York City, NY 11451, USA. rosenthal@york.cuny.edu
Wilson
W Cody
WC
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D040361:Healthy People Programs; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000208:ethnology / Q000628:therapy*; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009519:New York City; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012572:School Health Services; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013333:Student Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D014495:Universities; D014504:Urban Health