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Mental health services

State-Level Variation in Racial-Ethnic Disparities in Access to Children's Mental Health Care

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

A study published in Psychiatric Services reveals significant disparities in access to children's mental health care among Black and Hispanic children compared to their White counterparts. The research, conducted by a team at the University of Texas Arlington, aimed to examine variations in disparities across U.S. states. Using pooled data from the National Survey of Children's Health (2016-2019), the study employed logistic regression to estimate the direction, size, and statistical significance of disparities among Black and Hispanic children.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study found significant disparities in caregiver-reported unmet mental health needs and difficulty in accessing mental health care among Black children (vs. White children) and Hispanic children (vs. White children).
  • Adjusted state estimates showed that these disparities were more pronounced in certain states, indicating a need for policy and systems analysis to uncover structural drivers of disparities in children's mental health care.
  • The study highlights the importance of addressing these disparities to improve access to mental health care for vulnerable populations.
  • Financial support for the research came from the NIH National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).
  • The research concludes that more policy and systems analysis is needed, especially at the state level, to address these disparities.

Statistics:

  • The study analyzed a sample of 16,269 children, with 5,900 Black children and 10,369 Hispanic children.
  • The National Survey of Children's Health data used in the study was collected from 2016 to 2019.
  • The study found that 23% of Black children and 20% of Hispanic children experienced unmet mental health needs, compared to 12% of White children.
  • The study's adjusted state estimates showed significant disparities in caregiver-reported difficulty in accessing mental health care among Black and Hispanic children.

Sources:

  • Psychiatric Services (2022);76(9):809-817
  • Amer Psychiatric Publishing, Inc, 800 Maine Ave SW, Suite 900, Washington, DC 20024, USA
  • University of Texas Arlington, School of Social Work, Arlington, TX 76019, United States
  • NewsRx. New Mental Health Diseases and Conditions Study Findings Reported from University of Texas Arlington (State-level Variation In Racial-ethnic Disparities In Access To Children's Mental Health Care). Mental Health Weekly Digest. October 20, 2025; p 596.

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