Unmet needs for substance abuse and mental health services among Northern Plains American Indian adolescents

Use of mental health and substance abuse services was examined among 109 Am erican Indian adolescents in a Northern Plains reservation community. Each was interviewed to assess psychiatric diagnosis and service use and to dete rmine whether an adult had recognized a problem in the adolescent-a critica l determinant of receipt of services. Of the 23 youths who had a disorder, nine (39 percent) reported lifetime service use, Of the 25 who received ser vices, 17 were treated by a school counselor; only one received services fr om a mental health specialist. Eight of the 25 youths with a psychiatric or substance use diagnosis who did not receive services reported that an adul t had recognized a problem.