Disparities in Access to Mental Health Services Among Children Diagnosed with Anxiety and Depression in the United States

Abstract Child and adolescent mental health are major public health concerns in the US. Overall, 20% of US children have a reported mental health condition, while an estimated 40% will be diagnosed with one by age 18. Despite these concerns, little is known about factors associated with access to mental health services among children and adolescents. We analyzed data from a sample of 6655 children (aged 6 to 17 years) with either anxiety and/or depression drawn from the 2020–2021 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH). A multivariable logistic regression model was fit to investigate predisposing, enabling, and need factors associated with caregiver’s (i.e., parent or other guardian) perceived access to mental health services for their children. Approximately 50.8% of caregivers perceived obtaining mental health services for their children to be somewhat difficult, very difficult, or impossible. Children meeting criteria for having a medical home had lower odds of experiencing such difficulties (adjusted aOR = 0.38; 95% CI: 0.30–0.49). Further, compared to children who sometimes or never had health insurance coverage for mental or behavioral health needs, children who were always insured (aOR: 0.19; 95% CI 0.14, 0.25) and those who usually had coverage (aOR: 0.38; 95% CI 0.28, 0.51) had lower odds of experiencing perceived difficulties in obtaining care. The results indicate several enabling and need predictors of perceived access to mental health services––highlighting potential structural barriers to care access. Efforts to address access challenges should adopt a multifaceted approach and be tailored to families living in poverty, those with limited health coverage, and minoritized children with less than optimal general health.