title: Perception of Need and Receipt of Mental Health Treatment: A Three-Group Comparison of Young Adults With Psychological Distress.
abstract: This study examined mental health service use among three groups of young adults with assessed psychological distress: no perceived need for treatment, reported unmet need, and received treatment.
  
  
  
  Data came from participants ages 18 to 25 in the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2008-2013) who met criteria for psychological distress (N=19,775). Demographic, access-, and need-related predictors of perceived need and treatment group were examined by using multinomial logistic regression.
  
  
  
  Half the sample did not perceive a need for treatment (51.0%), and only one-third had received treatment (33.7%). White youths were more likely than those from other racial-ethnic groups to perceive a need and to receive treatment. Men were less likely than women to perceive need but equally likely to receive treatment. Higher education and having insurance also predicted treatment receipt.
  
  
  
  Efforts to increase service utilization among young adults should increase awareness of mental health problems and facilitate access, particularly for racial-ethnic minority groups.
authors.affiliation: Dr. Narendorf is with the Graduate College of Social Work, University of Houston, Houston, Texas (e-mail: sanarendorf@uh.edu ). Ms. Palmer is with the School of Social Welfare, University of Kansas, Lawrence. The findings were presented at the Annual Research and Policy Conference on Children's Behavioral Health, Tampa, March 22-25, 2015.
authors.forename: Sarah Carter
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Narendorf
authors.affiliation: Dr. Narendorf is with the Graduate College of Social Work, University of Houston, Houston, Texas (e-mail: sanarendorf@uh.edu ). Ms. Palmer is with the School of Social Welfare, University of Kansas, Lawrence. The findings were presented at the Annual Research and Policy Conference on Children's Behavioral Health, Tampa, March 22-25, 2015.
authors.forename: Ashley
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Palmer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000628:therapy*; D055815:Young Adult