Assessing racial/ethnic disparities in treatment across episodes of mental health care.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To investigate disparities in mental health care episodes, aligning our analyses with decisions to start or drop treatment, and choices made during treatment.

Study design

We analyzed whites, blacks, and Latinos with probable mental illness from Panels 9-13 of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, assessing disparities at the beginning, middle, and end of episodes of care (initiation, adequate care, having an episode with only psychotropic drug fills, intensity of care, the mixture of primary care provider (PCP) and specialist visits, use of acute psychiatric care, and termination).

Findings

Compared with whites, blacks and Latinos had less initiation and adequacy of care. Black and Latino episodes were shorter and had fewer psychotropic drug fills. Black ep

SUBMITTER: Cook BL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3844061 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature