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Racial and Ethnic Disparities for Unmet Needs by Mental Health Condition: 2016 to 2021

Andrew R Chang1, Natalie Slopen2,3

  • 1Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.

Pediatrics
|December 5, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Racial and ethnic minority children face significant unmet mental health needs, with disparities varying by condition. These inequities persist even after accounting for socioeconomic factors, highlighting underserved groups.

Area of Science:

  • Child Health Equity
  • Mental Health Disparities
  • Pediatric Mental Healthcare

Background:

  • Racial and ethnic minority children in the U.S. experience disparities in healthcare access and quality.
  • Limited understanding exists regarding how these disparities manifest across different mental health conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine unmet mental health needs among children by specific condition types.
  • To identify and characterize racial and ethnic inequities in pediatric mental healthcare.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the National Survey of Children's Health (2016-2021, n=172,107).
  • Employed logistic regression analyses, adjusting for individual and household characteristics.
  • Examined mental health conditions both in aggregate and individually.

Main Results:

  • Non-Hispanic Black children showed greater odds of unmet mental health needs compared to non-Hispanic white children (aOR=1.56).
  • Disparities varied by condition: Black children had higher unmet needs for behavioral problems (aOR=1.41), while Asian and Hispanic children had higher unmet needs for anxiety (aOR=2.60 and aOR=1.41, respectively).

Conclusions:

  • Racial and ethnic minority children are disproportionately affected by unmet mental health treatment needs.
  • These disparities are condition-specific and remain significant after controlling for socioeconomic factors.
  • The findings identify specific, clinically underserved racial and ethnic groups across various mental health conditions.
Abstract

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