Minority Suicidal Youth Less Likely to Utilize Mental Health Services

Newswise — Among adolescents who have attempted suicide, white youths are most likely to have reported receiving mental health services, according to a new study.

The study, presented at the American Public Health Association's Annual Meeting & Exposition in Washington, D.C., examined possible health disparities related to utilization of mental health services among suicidal youth.

Using data from a national survey of a representative sample of adolescent suicide attempters ages 12-17, researchers found that less than half of the youths received any treatment for their suicidal behaviors in the year preceding the interview.

Low for all groups, rates of mental health service use also varied by race/ethnicity. While 50 percent of white youths reported receiving services, rates were substantially lower for African-Americans (31.3 percent), Hispanics (36.5 percent) and other ethnic groups (38.5 percent). This disparity was particularly evident when looking at use of outpatient mental health services among those with suicidal behaviors, with the behavior highest among whites (29.2 percent) and lowest among African-Americans (12.6 percent); however this gap was not as wide when comparing the use of school-based services.

"The results of our study indicate an unmet mental health service need in suicidal youth, especially among minorities," said Ping Wu, PhD, lead researcher on the study. "We encourage policy-makers and mental health to work to reduce this service gap through improved school-based delivery of services and greater parent-child education measures."

Session: 5066.0 " Measuring the minority gap in mental health service use among suicidal youth: Findings from a national survey

Researchers: Ping Wu, PhD, Bozena J. Katic, MPH, MPA, Xinhua Liu, PhD, Bin Fan, MD, Cordelia J. Fuller, MS, and David Shaffer, MD.

Date: Wednesday, November 07, 2007 " 9:15 AM

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