Utilization of Mental Health Services in Educational Setting by Adolescents in the United States

Schools play an important role as providers of mental health services for adolescents; however, information on the broader picture of utilization of mental health services in educational versus other settings is limited because of the lack of national-level data.

Using multinomial logistic regression models based on national-level data from the 2012-2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, we explore the characteristics of adolescents who received mental health treatment in educational and other settings. In addition, the study examines the reasons for seeking services in various treatment settings.

The analysis finds that while the majority of adolescents who access mental health services receive care at noneducational settings, slightly more than one-third of them received services only in an educational setting. Adolescents who had public insurance, were from low-income households, and were from racial/ethnic minority groups were more likely to access services in an educational setting only. Common reasons for accessing services in educational settings included problems with schools, friends, and family members.

Despite increased access to treatment in outpatient settings in the last decade, schools play an important role in providing access to mental health services for disadvantaged populations.