Engaging African American and Latino adolescent males through school-based health centers.
African American and Latino males are less likely to seek mental health services and obtain adequate care than their White counterparts. They are more likely to receive mental health services in school-based health centers (SBHCs) than in other community-based setting. The purpose of this article was to understand the issues and reasons these adolescents sought mental health services at SBHCs and what their perceptions of the services were. A content analysis of 22 individual interviews was conducted using Krippendorff's method. Five themes emerged from the analysis of the data: the burdens and hurdles of my life, the door is always open, sanctuary within chaos, they get to us, and achieve my best potential. Each of the themes was explored in detail with rich quotations from the adolescents. The findings illuminated the daily struggles these adolescents faced and the impact mental health services in SBHCs had on their daily lives.
University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA Barnard Environmental Magnet School Based Health Center, New Haven, CT, USA bainsgr1@gmail.com.
Ranbir Mangat
RM
Bains
Marriage and Family Therapy Program, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA Windham School Based Health Center, Windham, CT, USA.
Carolyn W
CW
Franzen
Connecticut Association of School Based Health Centers, North Haven, CT, USA.
Jesse
J
White-Frese'
D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003237:Connecticut; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000208:ethnology*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012572:School Health Services
mental health; middle/junior/high school; qualitative research; school-based clinics