Consultation of mental health professionals by French adolescents with probable psychiatric problems

A national sample of school-attending adolescents aged 12-20 years (n = 843 5) filled out an anonymous self-administered questionnaire. We considered a group of 868 adolescents with probable psychiatric problems (PPP) in order to identify personal, psychological and environmental factors as well as h elp-seeking behaviour associated with consultation of mental health profess ionals (MHP). Among the adolescents with PPP, 13.7% consulted MHP at least once during the year. Logistic regression analysis showed that consultation with MHP was more frequent for adolescents with multiple problems (OR = 2. 3), functional physical disorders (OR = 1.9), family problems (OR = 2), sep arated parents (OR = 4.4) or multiple contacts with other doctors (GP, scho ol doctor and other specialists, OR = 2.2, 3.6 and 2.6, respectively), and among those who confided in teachers or youth group advisors (OR = 2.2). Th ose who confided in peers consulted MHP less often (OR = 0.5). However, con sultation with MHP was not associated with other sociodemographic or educat ional characteristics, with type of problem (internalized or externalized), or with confiding in one's parents.