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Do children with developmental disabilities and mental health conditions have greater difficulty using health

Savithri Nageswaran1, Susan L Parish, Roderick A Rose

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Medical Center Blvd, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA. snageswa@wfubmc.edu

Maternal and Child Health Journal
|April 6, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Children with developmental disabilities and mental health conditions face greater difficulty accessing health services compared to those with physical disorders. These findings highlight the need to evaluate and improve existing programs for these vulnerable populations.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health Services Research
  • Health Outcomes
  • Disability Studies

Background:

  • Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) often face challenges in accessing healthcare services.
  • Ease of use is a core outcome for the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, but disparities may exist among different conditions.
  • Understanding these disparities is crucial for improving healthcare delivery for all children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the ease of use of health services among children with special health care needs based on their primary condition.
  • To identify specific groups of CSHCN who experience greater difficulty accessing healthcare.
  • To inform policy and program development for improving healthcare access for children with disabilities and mental health conditions.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of data from the 2005 National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs.
  • Classification of CSHCN into four groups: developmental disabilities (DD), mental health conditions (MH), physical disorders (PD), and multiple conditions.
  • Bivariate and multivariate analyses to assess the association between health condition and difficulty using services.

Main Results:

  • Children with developmental disabilities (17%) and mental health conditions (13%) reported higher rates of difficulty using services compared to those with physical disorders (4%).
  • Multivariate analysis revealed that CSHCN with DD had 2.3 times the odds, and those with MH conditions had 2.6 times the odds, of experiencing difficulty compared to those with PD.
  • Children with multiple conditions reported the highest difficulty (20%).

Conclusions:

  • Children with developmental disabilities and mental health conditions face significant barriers in accessing healthcare services.
  • Existing programs for CSHCN require evaluation to ensure adequate service provision for children with DD and MH.
  • Future research should investigate the impact of policies on navigating the healthcare system for children with developmental disabilities and mental health conditions.

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