Identifying Gaps in Mental Health Service and Supports Utilization among Minoritized Youth with Mental Health Concerns in the Juvenile Legal System

The present study was conducted to identify whether a service utilization gap exists for racially and ethnically minoritized youth in the juvenile legal system (JLS) and whether such a gap persists after accounting for other factors known to promote or limit service utilization (need, desire, and ability to utilize services).

Participants were 174 youth (61.3% female) in the JLS participating in a court diversion program. Youth and their caregivers filled out measures pertaining to youth mental health symptoms, barriers to treatment participation, and motivation for treatment. In addition, caregivers also filled out a measure pertaining to services and supports accessed during the past three months.

Poisson regressions indicated that a significant service utilization gap exists for youth who identified as Black across traditional services (e.g., outpatient and inpatient services). Identifying as another racial or ethnically minoritized identity did not have a significant effect on service utilization. However, youth who identified as Latinx accessed fewer nontraditional supports than youth who did not identify as Latinx. These gaps persisted after controlling for other factors known to promote or limit service utilization.

Results indicate that, in the first three months following first involvement with the JLS, Black youth are experiencing a gap in service utilization versus non-Black youth that persists beyond the effect of differing need, desire, and ability to utilize services. These findings and their implications are examined, and future directions are discussed.