title: Mental health service utilization in a community sample of rural adolescents: the role of father-offspring relations.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Children and adolescents living in rural communities may be at particular risk for psychiatric problems, yet factors associated with mental health service use in these populations are not clear. This study examined the role of father warmth in offspring psychological treatment utilization in community sample of rural families (n = 298).
  
  
  METHODS
  Observer ratings of paternal warmth were examined as a predictor of adolescent treatment seeking and as a moderator of the longitudinal association between adolescent depressive symptoms and treatment seeking.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Paternal warmth was a marginally significant predictor of adolescent mental health service use. The association between adolescent depressive symptoms and treatment seeking varied as a function of paternal behavior; adolescents were more likely to seek needed help in the context of a warm, supportive father.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that fathers can play an important role in the intrafamilial processes through which rural adolescents recognize and seek help for their psychological problems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Development, University of California at Davis, USA. btreeb@ucdavis.edu
authors.forename: Ben T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Reeb
authors.forename: Katherine J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Conger
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D016497:Adolescent Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis; D005219:Father-Child Relations; D006801:Humans; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012424:Rural Population