Teens in the U.S. have more availability of mental health care than they did two years ago, according to a survey from the University of Michigan National Voices Project, but access is not equal in all communities.
The University of Michigan National Voices Project was commissioned by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to facilitate a five year study to gauge opportunities for children and teens at the local level in communities across the U.S. The National Voices Project surveys over 2,000 adults across the U.S. who work and/or volunteer on behalf of children and teens.
In a 2014 National Voices Project survey, 40 percent of adults said teens in their communities had lots of availability for mental health care. In a 2012 survey, only 30 percent of adults reported lots of availability. In comparison, 59 percent of adults in 2014 said that teens had lots of availability for primary care.
Adults’ perceptions of healthcare availability were much different in communities where respondents perceived some or many racial/ethnic inequities. In these communities, just 35 percent of adults saw lots of availability for teens to get mental health care in 2014, up from 24 percent in 2012.
For the communities with few or no racial/ethnic inequities, 54 percent of adults perceived lots of availability for mental health care for teens, an improvement from 39 percent in 2012.
Population of focus: Adolescents
Links to resource:
- Full report (pdf)
- News article on ScienceDaily.com
- Summary of report
Date: 2014
Organization: The University of Michigan National Voices Project was commissioned by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation