Understanding urban child mental health service use: Two studies of child,family, and environmental correlates

The results of two studies identifying child, family, and environmental cor relates of initial and ongoing mental health service use by urban minority children and their families are presented. In the first study, data from a sample of 405 adult caregivers of children revealed no predictive power of child demographic characteristics in relation to initial or ongoing service usage. Only parental ratings of child impulsive-hyperactive behavior were significantly related to ongoing involvement in services. In the second stu dy, a new sample of 100 urban caregivers of children was interviewed. Paren tal discipline efficacy and attitudes about mental health services were fou nd to relate significantly to initial attendance. Relative to ongoing servi ce use, level of family stress, presence of another adult in the home, and parental discipline efficacy were significant. Implications for research an d child mental health set-vice organizations are highlighted.