TY - JOUR
T1 - Foregone mental health care and self-reported access barriers among adolescents.
AU - Samargia, Luzette A.
AU - Saewyc, Elizabeth M.
AU - Elliott, Barbara A.
PY - 2006/2
Y1 - 2006/2
N2 - Adolescents forego mental health care in spite of self-perceived needs for services; this presents a significant public health problem. Using data from the 2001 Adolescent Health Care Access Survey of 16-year-olds in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, we assessed barriers to mental health care among the 878 respondents who reported ever needing psychological or emotional counseling. Demographic characteristics were compared among those who had always, had sometimes, or had never received needed mental health care. Overall, 57% of the youths reported foregoing mental health care at least once. Girls and adolescents living with both parents were significantly more likely to have foregone care. Youths identified two common barriers to accessing care: "Thought or hoped the problem would go away" (50%) and "Didn't want parents to know" (36%). School-based interventions should be sensitive to mental health needs, especially among girls and teens living in two-parent families.
AB - Adolescents forego mental health care in spite of self-perceived needs for services; this presents a significant public health problem. Using data from the 2001 Adolescent Health Care Access Survey of 16-year-olds in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, we assessed barriers to mental health care among the 878 respondents who reported ever needing psychological or emotional counseling. Demographic characteristics were compared among those who had always, had sometimes, or had never received needed mental health care. Overall, 57% of the youths reported foregoing mental health care at least once. Girls and adolescents living with both parents were significantly more likely to have foregone care. Youths identified two common barriers to accessing care: "Thought or hoped the problem would go away" (50%) and "Didn't want parents to know" (36%). School-based interventions should be sensitive to mental health needs, especially among girls and teens living in two-parent families.
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U2 - 10.1177/10598405060220010401
DO - 10.1177/10598405060220010401
M3 - Article
C2 - 16435926
AN - SCOPUS:33645635714
SN - 1059-8405
VL - 22
SP - 17
EP - 24
JO - The Journal of school nursing : the official publication of the National Association of School Nurses
JF - The Journal of school nursing : the official publication of the National Association of School Nurses
IS - 1
ER -
