Provided by David Satcher, M.D., Ph.D.
Surgeon General of the United States of America
Chapter 3: Children and Mental Health
Service Utilization
Poverty and Utilization
Poverty status has been associated with both dropping out of services and shorter lengths of treatment (Hoberman, 1992). This relationship between underutilization of mental health services and poverty is especially significant for minority children and families. Youths receiving community mental health services supported by public agencies tend to be male, poor, and referred by social agencies (Canino et al., 1986; Costello & Janiszewski, 1990). Furthermore, investigators have found this pattern particularly true for African Americans as compared with Caucasians. Hoberman (1992) has found that 90 percent of African American youths entering the mental health system live in poverty.
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