Thesis
Multilevel Barriers to Access and Utilization of Mental Health Services Among Black/African American (AA) Youth
Washington State University
Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
07/2024
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7273/000007061
Abstract
Accessing and utilizing mental health services is often a significant challenge for Black/African American (AA) youth. Research has shown that factors at various socio-ecological levels contribute to the challenges that limit access and utilization of mental health services for Black/AA youth. This study aims to identify and examine individual and community factors contributing to limited access and the underutilization of mental health services among Black/AA youth.
The current study analyzed secondary data from the United States 2020-2021 National Survey on Children’s Health (NSCH) to investigate barriers to accessing mental health services among Black/AA youth aged 12-17 years with reported anxiety, depression, or behavioral/conduct problems as mental health concerns using Chi-square tests of association and binary logistic regressions. The findings indicated that a large proportion (χ2[18] = 348.373, p = <0.001) of respondents needing mental health services received care, and a large proportion (χ2[24] = 79.422, p = <0.001) of those who received mental health services reported not having difficulty obtaining care. While most variables examined in the current study were not associated with receipt of mental health services (sex, health insurance status, language spoken in the home, SES/FPL), some were found to be associated with receipt of mental health services (parent educational attainment, supportive neighborhood, safe neighborhood). The current study recommends further research on mental health care access and utilization among Black/AA youth to establish more robust inferences that can guide the development of effective interventions to promote equitable access to mental health services for children.
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Details
- Title
- Multilevel Barriers to Access and Utilization of Mental Health Services Among Black/African American (AA) Youth
- Creators
- Metta Kongira
- Contributors
- Oladunni Oluwoye (Chair)Douglas Weeks (Committee Member)Katherine Hirchak (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Department of Human Development
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 54
- Identifiers
- 99901152337401842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis