Racial, Ethnic Differences Seen in Teens' Use of Mental Health Services
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, June 20, 2025 -- There are substantial racial and ethnic differences in U.S. adolescents’ use of mental health services, according to a study published online June 18 in JAMA Network Open.
Yanlei Ma, Ph.D., from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, and colleagues used data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2022 to 2023) to estimate racial and ethnic differences in mental health service. The analysis included 23,541 adolescents aged 12 to 17 years.
The researchers found that 5,994 participants reported experiencing a major depressive episode. The percentage of adolescents receiving any mental health visit was 31.7 percent among non-Hispanic White adolescents but was significantly lower among participants of racial and ethnic minority groups, ranging from 21.9 percent for non-Hispanic Black adolescents to 25.6 percent for Hispanic adolescents. There were also significant differences seen in prescription medication use and receipt of care in outpatient, school, and telemental health settings. Telemental health visits occurred for 17.0 percent of non-Hispanic White adolescents compared with 8.1 percent among non-Hispanic Asian, Hawaiian, or Other Pacific Islander adolescents to 12.0 percent for Hispanic adolescents. There were few to no racial or ethnic differences for receipt of mental health services from support groups, peer support specialists or recovery coaches, inpatient or residential settings, or emergency departments.
"These findings highlight the need to improve mental health access for adolescent members of racial and ethnic minority groups," the authors write.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted June 2025
Read this next
Likelihood of Psych Disorders Lower With Weight-Loss Surgery Versus GLP-1 RAs
FRIDAY, June 20, 2025 -- People undergoing metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) are less likely to develop psychiatric disorders than those treated with glucagon-like peptide-1...
Electroconvulsive Therapy Reduces Mortality in People With Depression
WEDNESDAY, June 18, 2025 -- Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) shows a significant protective effect against suicide and overall mortality in people with depression, according to a...
Psilocybin Plus Psychotherapy Offers Lasting Benefit in Cancer, Depression
MONDAY, June 16, 2025 -- For cancer patients with a major depressive disorder, a single dose of psilocybin combined with psychological support can provide sustained relief for...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.