Youth and provider perspectives on social service providers' roles in mental health services

In 1994 and 1996, the Youth Services Project interviewed 792 youths from St . Louis City. Although the youths showed a high need for mental health serv ices (20% met diagnostic criteria), less than half of the youths with probl ems received services. Past contact with a social service provider, but not a teacher, physician, etc., significantly predicted care for mental health problems (odds ratio = 1.5). Social service professionals (largely social workers) served more youths than did any other profession. Of youths with p ersistent problems, 25% received services from social service professionals , 3% from MD/PhD level psychiatrists or psychologists, 7% from primary care medical doctors, 12% from teachers/coaches, 15% from other helpers, and 37 % received no services at all.