Maltreated young adults not receiving needed mental health services

Aug 9 2009

Mental health problems among young adults suspected of being maltreated as youths often go untreated as they transition to adulthood, according to a study by researchers at RTI International.

The study, published in the August issue of Psychiatric Services, found that more than 48 percent of young adults suspected of being maltreated as youths had indicators of mental health problems. But the study showed that among those young adults with mental health problems, less than a quarter of them used outpatient mental health services.

"The results show the strong need for 'transition' services beginning in adolescence and continuing through young adulthood," said Heather Ringeisen, Ph.D., a senior research psychologist at RTI and the study's lead author. "Young adults need services to help facilitate development into adulthood and support transition from child- to adult-oriented mental health services."

The study looked at more than 600 young adults selected from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being, a national probability study of children for whom maltreatment was investigated by the child welfare system.

The researchers found that there was a significant decrease in the use of specialty mental health services as adolescence transitioned to young adulthood, declining from 47.6 percent to 14.3 percent.

The researchers also found that young adults without Medicaid insurance and nonwhites were even less likely to use outpatient mental health services.
"Interventions to improve access to mental health services for this vulnerable population should particularly support outreach and engagement of young adults who are uninsured and from racial or ethnic minority groups with a history of involvement with the child welfare system," Ringeisen said.

The study was funded by the Administration of Children and Families (ACF).

www.rti.org