The course and correlates of mental health care received by young children: Descriptive data from a longitudinal urban high-risk sample

As part of a larger longitudinal study, a sample of 269 predominantly low-income and minority caregiver-child dyads were recruited when the children were infants, and received annual interviews from ages 2 to 7. Almost two-thirds of the sample had been reported as maltreated. Over the course of the study, 49.4% of the children were reported by their parents as needing services at some point in time and most of these eventually received services; the probability of needing and receiving services increased with child age. Far fewer children received services for internalizing (6.7%) and life stress (5.6%) problems than for externalizing (22.3%) or other psychosocial problems (23.4%). Maltreatment did not predict receipt of services, nor did most demographic factors. However, girls and African American children had reduced likelihood of receiving services, especially for externalizing problems. Girls were less likely than boys to be perceived as needing mental health treatment, but there was no discrepancy in perceived need between African American and white children. Child gender and ethnicity are associated with parent-identified child mental health needs and with the receipt of mental health services.