State-Level Variation in Racial-Ethnic Disparities in Access to Children's Mental Health Care

Mental health treatment disparities have been documented among children and youths. This study aimed to examine variations in disparities across U.S. states among Black children and Hispanic children (vs. White children). Disparities in caregiver-reported unmet mental health needs and difficulty in accessing mental health care were assessed.

This retrospective cross-sectional study used pooled data (2016-2019) from the National Survey of Children's Health. Logistic regression, with marginal postestimation and complex survey weights to reflect state and national probabilities, was used to estimate the direction, size, and statistical significance of disparities among Black (vs. White) children (N=5,900) and Hispanic (vs. White) children (N=10,369).

Adjusted state estimates showed significant (p<0.05) disparities in four U.S. states among Black (vs. White) children in the probability of having unmet mental health needs. Disparities in care access favoring Black children were found in four states. In one state, Black children were significantly more likely than White children to have caregiver-reported difficulty in accessing treatment. Hispanic (vs. White) children were significantly less likely to have caregiver-reported unmet mental health needs in seven states, but the opposite was found in one state. The probability of caregiver-reported difficulty in accessing care was significantly lower among Hispanic (vs. White) children in two states but was higher in three states.

Significant state variation in disparities was obscured by national averages. More policy and systems analysis is needed, especially at the state level, to uncover structural drivers of disparities in children's mental health care.