Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Youth mental health needs are of high concern nationwide [1,2].Amplifying these concerns, traditionally medically underserved groups are at elevated risk of lacking access to mental healthcare and experiencing poor mental health outcomes.For instance, Black and Latine/Hispanic children are less likely to be seen by mental health specialists than White children [3].Psychiatric emergency department use, a proxy measurement for lack of access to preventative care, is highest among Black children [4] and is increasing more rapidly among Latine/Hispanic youth compared to their White peers [5].Black youth aged 5-12 years are twice as likely to die by suicide as same-aged White youth [4].In 2020, more than half of sexual and gender minority youth who sought access to mental healthcare were unable to receive services [6].Social drivers of health (SDOH; e.g., living conditions, traumatic exposures) are root causes of disparities; inequitable distributions of SDOH lead to lower healthcare access and higher disease burden among marginalized communities [7].The effects of SDOH, in combination with long-standing societal inequities and interpersonal biases, have perpetuated poor mental health outcomes for disadvantaged social groups [8].If left untreated, mental illness is likely to persist into adulthood, leading to long-term consequences [9].Parent mental illness is associated with an increased lifetime risk of mental illness for their children and negative effects on child development [10].This cascade can lead to disparities that persist across generations.Yet, childhood health prevention and intervention services protect against negative health, educational, and economic outcomes for adults [8]; thus, early healthcare for traditionally underserved youth may have the potential to alleviate generational disparities [11].
Source: Journal of School Health
DOI: 10.1111/josh.70024
Institution: University of Wisconsin–Madison
Language: English
Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,570
OpenAlex ID: W4411042005