Re-Accessing Community Mental Health Services for Children and Adolescents.

CHILD mental health services; COMMUNITY mental health services; SECONDARY analysis; MARITAL status; TEENAGERS

A substantial number of children experience persistent or recurrent problems and may need more than one episode of care. However, there is a paucity of research on recurrent service use. The present study examined the rates and predictors of re-accessing community-based care. Secondary data analyses were conducted on administrative data from 5 mental health agencies in Ontario (N = 1802). Approximately a third (29.6%) of children who had an episode of care re-accessed services again within 4 years; the median time to re-access was 386 days or 12.68 months. Social content (e.g., age, parental marital status) and treatment system (e.g., spacing of visits) variables predicted re-accessing services, although predictors varied based on how services were re-accessed. A better understanding of the factors that influence recurrent service use may help mental health agencies better prepare for and facilitate this process for families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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