Assessing the Individual, Neighborhood, and Policy Predictors of Disparities in Mental Health Care

County characteristics associated with behavioral health emergency medical services calls

A substantial portion of the 20 million calls that emergency medical services (EMS) personnel respond to each year are considered preventable, including more than 1.5 million behavioral health calls. Despite goals of preventing behavioral health crises and reducing the burden on patients and EMS personnel, little is known about how demographic and community characteristics influence behavioral health calls. Using nationwide 2021 EMS call data, we identified counties with high behavioral health calls and examined their demographic and community characteristics. Low-income and racially diverse counties had a higher incidence of behavioral health EMS calls, while politically conservative counties had a lower incidence of behavioral health EMS calls. To better meet the emergency behavioral health needs of communities, policy and decision-makers should consider strategies that increase access to and awareness of alternative behavioral health crisis services (eg, 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline).

Protocol for socioecological study of autism, suicide risk, and mental health care: Integrating machine learning and community consultation for suicide prevention

INTRODUCTION

Autistic people experience higher risk of suicidal ideation (SI) and suicide attempts (SA) compared to non-autistic people, yet there is limited understanding of complex, multilevel factors that drive this disparity. Further, determinants of mental health service receipt among this population are unknown. This study will identify socioecological factors associated with increased risk of SI and SA for autistic people and evaluate determinants of mental health care receipt.

METHODS

This study will link information for individuals aged 12-64 years in healthcare claims data (IBM® MarketScan® Research Database and CMS Medicaid) to publicly available databases containing community and policy factors, thereby creating a unique, multilevel dataset that includes health, demographic, community, and policy information. Machine learning data reduction methods will be applied to reduce the dimensionality prior to nested, multilevel empirical estimation. These techniques will allow for robust identification of clusters of socioecological factors associated with 1) risk of SI and SA and 2) receipt of mental health services (type, dose, delivery modality). Throughout, the research team will partner with an established group of autistic partners to promote community relevance, as well as receive input and guidance from a council of policy and practice advisors.

DISCUSSION

We hypothesize that nested individual (co-occurring conditions, age, sex), community (healthcare availability, social vulnerabilities), and policy factors (state mental health legislation, state Medicaid expansion) will be associated with heightened risk of SI and SA, and that receipt, dose, and delivery of mental health services will be associated with interdependent factors at all three levels. The approach will lead to identification of multilevel clusters of risk and factors that facilitate or impede mental health service delivery. The study team will then engage the community partners, and policy and practice advisors to inform development of recommendations to reduce risk and improve mental health for the autistic population.

Relationship between social determinants of health and hospitalizations and costs in patients with major depressive disorder

BACKGROUND

The relationship of patient characteristics and social determinants of health (SDOH) with hospitalizations and costs in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) has not been assessed using real-world data.

OBJECTIVE

To identify factors associated with higher hospitalizations and costs in patients with MDD.

METHODS

A retrospective observational study identified patients aged 18 years and older newly diagnosed with MDD between July 1, 2016, and December 31, 2018. SDOH were linked to patients at the "near-neighborhood" level. Multivariable models assessed association of patient characteristics with hospitalizations (incidence rate ratios [95% CI]) and costs (cost ratios [95% CI]).

RESULTS

Of 1,958,532 patients with MDD, 49.6% had Commercial and 50.4% Medicaid insurance; mean ages were similar (43.9; 43.4) with more female patients (67.6%; 70.5%). MDD patients with Commercial insurance had a mean household income of $75,044; 53.2% were married; 76.5% owned their home; 64.4% completed high school or less; and 2.8% had limited English-language proficiency (LEP). Patients covered by Medicaid had a household income of $46,708; 68.1% lived alone with 41.6% married; 54.6% owned their home; more than 4-in-5 patients (80.8%) completed high school or less, and 6.3% had LEP. Nearly one-third of Medicaid insured patients with MDD had at least 1 hospitalization (29.6%) with a mean length of stay 6.8 days; total health care costs were $21,467 annually. Commercially insured patients with MDD had 14.7% hospitalization rates with a length of stay of 5.9 days; total costs were $14,531. Multivariable models show female patients are less likely (Commercial 0.87; Medicaid 0.80; P < 0.05), and patients with more comorbidities are more likely to be hospitalized (Commercial 1.33; Medicaid 1.27; P < 0.05). All treatment classes relative to antidepressants only increased likelihood of hospitalizations-particularly antipsychotic+antianxiety use (Commercial 2.99; Medicaid 2.29)-and costs (Commercial 2.32; Medicaid 2.00) (all P < 0.05). Household income was inversely associated with hospitalizations for both insured populations. LEP reduced the likelihood of hospitalizations by more than 70% among Medicaid patients (0.27, P < 0.05) and was associated with higher costs for Commercial (2.01) but lower costs for Medicaid (0.37) (P < 0.05). Living in areas with no shortage of mental health practitioners was associated with higher hospitalizations and costs.

CONCLUSIONS

We identified patient characteristics associated with higher rates of hospitalizations and costs in patients with MDD in 2 insured populations. Female sex, higher comorbidities, and living in areas with no shortage of mental health practitioners were associated with higher hospitalizations and costs, whereas income was inversely associated with hospitalizations. The findings suggest disparities in access to care related to income, LEP, and availability of mental health practitioners that should be addressed to assure equitable care for patients with MDD.

Leveraging Measurement-Based Care to Reduce Mental Health Treatment Disparities for Populations of Color

Disparities in mental health treatment have consistently been documented for clients of color as compared to White clients. Most mental health care disparities literature focuses on access to care at the point of initial engagement to treatment, resulting in a dearth of viable solutions being explored to retain clients in care once they begin. Measurement-based care (MBC) is a person-centered practice that has been shown to improve the therapeutic relationship, make treatment more personalized, and empower the client to have an active role in their care. Problems with therapeutic alliance and treatment relevance are associated with early termination for communities of color in mental health services. However, MBC has not been explored as a clinical practice to address therapeutic alliance and continual engagement for people of color seeking mental health care. This Point of View describes several MBC features that may be able to impact current sources of disparity in mental health treatment quality and provides a rationale for each. Our hope is that the field of MBC and progress feedback will more explicitly consider the potential of MBC practices to promote equity and parity in mental health services of color and will start to explore these associations empirically. We also discuss whether MBC should be culturally adapted to optimize its relevance and effectiveness for communities of color and other groups experiencing marginalization. We propose that MBC has promise to promote equitable mental health service quality and outcomes for communities of color.

Global Is Local: Leveraging Global Mental-Health Methods to Promote Equity and Address Disparities in the United States

Structural barriers perpetuate mental health disparities for minoritized US populations; global mental health (GMH) takes an interdisciplinary approach to increasing mental health care access and relevance. Mutual capacity building partnerships between low and middle-income countries and high-income countries are beginning to use GMH strategies to address disparities across contexts. We highlight these partnerships and shared GMH strategies through a case series of said partnerships between Kenya-North Carolina, South Africa-Maryland, and Mozambique-New York. We analyzed case materials and narrative descriptions using document review. Shared strategies across cases included: qualitative formative work and partnership-building; selecting and adapting evidence-based interventions; prioritizing accessible, feasible delivery; task-sharing; tailoring training and supervision; and mixed-method, hybrid designs. Bidirectional learning between partners improved the use of strategies in both settings. Integrating GMH strategies into clinical science-and facilitating learning across settings-can improve efforts to expand care in ways that consider culture, context, and systems in low-resource settings.

The role of mesolevel characteristics of the health care system and socioeconomic factors on health care use - results of a scoping review

BACKGROUND

Besides macrolevel characteristics of a health care system, mesolevel access characteristics can exert influence on socioeconomic inequalities in healthcare use. These reflect access to healthcare, which is shaped on a smaller scale than the national level, by the institutions and establishments of a health system that individuals interact with on a regular basis. This scoping review maps the existing evidence about the influence of mesolevel access characteristics and socioeconomic position on healthcare use. Furthermore, it summarizes the evidence on the interaction between mesolevel access characteristics and socioeconomic inequalities in healthcare use.

METHODS

We used the databases MEDLINE (PubMed), Web of Science, Scopus, and PsycINFO and followed the 'Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR)' recommendations. The included quantitative studies used a measure of socioeconomic position, a mesolevel access characteristic, and a measure of individual healthcare utilisation. Studies published between 2000 and 2020 in high income countries were considered.

RESULTS

Of the 9501 potentially eligible manuscripts, 158 studies were included after a two-stage screening process. The included studies contained a wide spectrum of outcomes and were thus summarised to the overarching categories: use of preventive services, use of curative services, and potentially avoidable service use. Exemplary outcomes were screening uptake, physician visits and avoidable hospitalisations. Access variables included healthcare system characteristics such as physician density or distance to physician. The effects of socioeconomic position on healthcare use as well as of mesolevel access characteristics were investigated by most studies. The results show that socioeconomic and access factors play a crucial role in healthcare use. However, the interaction between socioeconomic position and mesolevel access characteristics is addressed in only few studies.

CONCLUSIONS

Socioeconomic position and mesolevel access characteristics are important when examining variation in healthcare use. Additionally, studies provide initial evidence that moderation effects exist between the two factors, although research on this topic is sparse. Further research is needed to investigate whether adapting access characteristics at the mesolevel can reduce socioeconomic inequity in health care use.

Predictors of relapse and engagement in care one year after ending services in an urban safety net coordinated specialty care program for first episode psychosis

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to identify risk factors for relapse (psychiatric emergency department visits or hospitalization) and lack of follow-up with outpatient psychiatric care in the 12 months after ending services in an urban safety net coordinated specialty care (CSC) program for first episode psychosis (FEP).

METHODS

The study population (n = 143) were individuals with FEP who had any CSC care between 2014 and 2021. To identify risk factors for relapse and follow up after exit, multivariable logistic regression was performed using data from electronic health records and linked insurance claims data.

RESULTS

Individuals with any emergency department visit or hospitalization 12 months prior to ending CSC (aOR = 4.69, 95 % CI 1.78-12.34) and those who were using cannabis at last CSC contact (aOR = 4.06, 95 % CI 1.56-10.56) had a higher risk of relapse after ending CSC services. Cannabis use at last contact was also associated with lower rates of outpatient psychiatric follow-up (aOR = 0.32, 95 % CI 0.12-0.94), while CSC duration in months had a small positive association with post-CSC psychiatric follow-up. There were no differences in relapse or follow-up by race or ethnicity, primary diagnosis, or medication usage.

CONCLUSIONS

Prior relapse during CSC predicted relapse in the 12 months after ending CSC services, but not outpatient follow up. Cannabis use predicted both a higher rate of relapse and a lower rate of follow up after ending services. There were no differences by race or ethnicity in our sample, suggesting that once individuals engaged in FEP care there were no evident disparities in the observed outcomes.

Black Moms Matter: A Qualitative Approach to Understanding Barriers to Service Utilization at a Children's Advocacy Center Following Childhood Abuse

Black families are significantly less likely to receive evidence-based trauma treatment services; however, little is known about factors impacting engagement, particularly at Children's Advocacy Centers (CACs). The goal of this study is to better understand barriers and facilitators of service utilization for Black caregivers of CAC referred youth. Participants (n = 15) were randomly selected Black maternal caregivers (ages 26-42) recruited from a pool of individuals who were referred to receive CAC services. Black maternal caregivers reported barriers to accessing services at CACs including a lack of assistance and information in the referral and onboarding process, transportation issues, childcare, employment hours, system mistrust, stigma associated with the service system, and outside stressors such as stressors related to parenting. Maternal caregivers also shared suggestions for improving services at CACs including increasing the length, breadth, and clarity of investigations conducted by child protection services and law enforcement (LE) agencies, providing case management services, and having more diverse staff and discussing racial stressors. We conclude by identifying specific barriers to the initiation and engagement in services for Black families, and we provide suggestions for CACs seeking to improve engagement of Black families referred for trauma-related mental health services.

Sociodemographic Correlates of Affordable Community Behavioral Health Treatment Facility Availability in Florida: A Cross-Sectional Study

Behavioral health disorders such as mental disorders (MD) and substance use disorders (SUD) are epidemics in the US; however, the availability of treatment and prevention services remains low. This study assessed neighborhood-level sociodemographic attributes to characterize the availability of behavioral health treatment facilities in Florida. The American Community Survey and SAMHSA's Behavioral Health Treatment Locator were used to identify behavioral health treatment facilities in Florida and calculate their density by census tract. Spatial lag regression models were used to assess census tract-level correlates of facility density for 390 MD treatment facilities, 518 SUD facilities, and subsets of affordable MD and SUD facilities. Behavioral health treatment facility density was negatively associated with rurality and positively associated with the proportion of non-Latino Black, Latino, insured, and college-educated populations. Stark rural-urban disparities in behavioral health treatment availability present opportunities to prioritize telehealth and mobile interventions and improve treatment utilization.

Racial-Ethnic Disparities in Outpatient Mental Health Care in the United States

OBJECTIVE

The authors aimed to compare national rates and patterns of use of outpatient mental health care among Hispanic, non-Hispanic Black, and non-Hispanic White individuals.

METHODS

Data from the 2018-2019 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, a nationally representative survey of U.S. households, were analyzed, focusing on use of any outpatient mental health care service by non-Hispanic White (N=29,126), non-Hispanic Black (N=7,965), and Hispanic (N=12,640) individuals ages ≥4 years (N=49,731). Among individuals using any mental health care, analyses focused on those using psychotropic medications, psychotherapy, or both and on receipt of minimally adequate mental health care.

RESULTS

The annual rate per 100 persons of any outpatient mental health service use was more than twice as high for White (25.3) individuals as for Black (12.2) or Hispanic (11.4) individuals. Among those receiving outpatient mental health care, Black (69.9%) and Hispanic (68.4%) patients were significantly less likely than White (83.4%) patients to receive psychotropic medications, but Black (47.7%) and Hispanic (42.6%) patients were significantly more likely than White (33.3%) patients to receive psychotherapy. Among those treated for depression, anxiety, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or disruptive behavior disorders, no significant differences were found in the proportions of White, Black, or Hispanic patients who received minimally adequate treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Large racial-ethnic gaps in any mental health service use and smaller differences in patterns of treatment suggest that achieving racial-ethnic equity in outpatient mental health care delivery will require dedicated efforts to promote greater mental health service access for Black and Hispanic persons in need.

Facilitators of and Barriers to Integrating Digital Mental Health Into County Mental Health Services: Qualitative Interview Analyses

BACKGROUND

Digital mental health interventions (DMHIs) represent a promising solution to address the growing unmet mental health needs and increase access to care. Integrating DMHIs into clinical and community settings is challenging and complex. Frameworks that explore a wide range of factors, such as the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, Sustainment (EPIS) framework, can be useful for examining multilevel factors related to DMHI implementation efforts.

OBJECTIVE

This paper aimed to identify the barriers to, facilitators of, and best practice recommendations for implementing DMHIs across similar organizational settings, according to the EPIS domains of inner context, outer context, innovation factors, and bridging factors.

METHODS

This study stems from a large state-funded project in which 6 county behavioral health departments in California explored the use of DMHIs as part of county mental health services. Our team conducted interviews with clinical staff, peer support specialists, county leaders, project leaders, and clinic leaders using a semistructured interview guide. The development of the semistructured interview guide was informed by expert input regarding relevant inner context, outer context, innovation factors, and bridging factors in the exploration, preparation, and implementation phases of the EPIS framework. We followed a recursive 6-step process to conduct qualitative analyses using inductive and deductive components guided by the EPIS framework.

RESULTS

On the basis of 69 interviews, we identified 3 main themes that aligned with the EPIS framework: readiness of individuals, readiness of innovations, and readiness of organizations and systems. Individual-level readiness referred to the extent to which clients had the necessary technological tools (eg, smartphones) and knowledge (digital literacy) to support the DMHI. Innovation-level readiness pertained to the accessibility, usefulness, safety, and fit of the DMHI. Organization- and system-level readiness concerned the extent to which providers and leadership collectively held positive views about DMHIs as well as the extent to which infrastructure (eg, staffing and payment model) was appropriate.

CONCLUSIONS

The successful implementation of DMHIs requires readiness at the individual, innovation, and organization and system levels. To improve individual-level readiness, we recommend equitable device distribution and digital literacy training. To improve innovation readiness, we recommend making DMHIs easier to use and introduce, clinically useful, and safe and adapting them to fit into the existing client needs and clinical workflow. To improve organization- and system-level readiness, we recommend supporting providers and local behavioral health departments with adequate technology and training and exploring potential system transformations (eg, integrated care model). Conceptualizing DMHIs as services allows the consideration of both the innovation characteristics of DMHIs (eg, efficacy, safety, and clinical usefulness) and the ecosystem around DMHIs, such as individual and organizational characteristics (inner context), purveyors and intermediaries (bridging factor), client characteristics (outer context), as well as the fit between the innovation and implementation settings (innovation factor).

Delays in commitment and treatment court proceedings worsen psychiatric and other medical conditions

OBJECTIVE

Adversarial hearings in hospital commitment and de novo treatment proceedings, or court hearings, delay psychiatric treatment in many jurisdictions. In Massachusetts, the "treatment over objection" process requires a court petition. For state hospital patients, the delay to treatment is an initial 34 day waiting period in addition to continuances of court hearings that extend treatment delays. This study examined the frequency of adverse medical events due to delayed court hearings within a forensic state hospital in the US.

METHODS

The study reviewed all (n = 355) treatment petitions filed by a Massachusetts forensic hospital from 2015 and 2016. The incidence and nature of adverse events (e.g. patient/staff assaults, milieu disruptions) and acute medical symptoms (e.g. catatonia, acute psychosis), before and after the Court granted a petition for treatment, were analyzed by two raters. Adverse events included patient and staff assaults, acute psychiatric symptoms, and milieu problems.

RESULTS

82.6 % of treatment petitions led to involuntary treatment, 16.6 % were withdrawn by the medical petition filer, and only 0.8 % petitions were denied by the judge. Adversarial hearings occasioned an average delay of 41 days from treatment petition filing to receipt of standing treatment in addition to statute required delays. Once treatment was court-approved, all types of adverse events were significantly reduced.

CONCLUSIONS

Results established that the court treatment hearing scheme exacerbates health and safety risks to patients with serious mental illness. Increasing physician and court personnel awareness of these risks is likely key to enhancing a patient-focused, rights-oriented approach to these matters. This and other recommendations is proposed for jurisdictions that deal with this problem around the world.

Neighborhood and Depressive Symptoms in Older Adults Living in Rural and Urban Regions in South Korea

Neighborhoods have a significant impact on depressive symptoms in older adults. In response to the increasing depression of older adults in Korea, this study aims to identify the relationship between perceived and objective neighborhood characteristics in depressive symptoms and find differences between rural and urban areas. We used a National survey collected in 2020 of 10,097 Korean older adults aged 65 and older. We also utilized Korean administration data for identifying the objective neighborhood characteristics. Multilevel modeling results indicated that depressive symptoms decreased when older adults perceived their housing condition (b = -0.04, p < 0.001), their interaction with neighbors (b = -0.02, p < 0.001), and overall neighborhood environment (b = -0.02, p < 0.001) positively. Among the objective neighborhood characteristics, only nursing homes (b = 0.09, p < 0.05) were related to depressive symptoms of older adults living in urban areas. For older adults living in rural areas, the number of social workers (b = -0.03, p < 0.001), the number of senior centers (b = -0.45, p < 0.001), and nursing home (b = -3.30, p < 0.001) in the neighborhood were negatively associated with depressive symptoms. This study found that rural and urban areas have different neighborhood characteristics related to older adults' depressive symptoms in South Korea. This study encourages policymakers to consider neighborhood characteristics to improve the mental health of older adults.

Scaling-up Child and Youth Mental Health Services: Assessing Coverage of a County-Wide Prevention and Early Intervention Initiative During One Fiscal Year

PURPOSE

In the U.S., the percentage of youth in need of evidence-based mental health practices (EBPs) who receive them (i.e., coverage rate) is low. We know little about what influences coverage rates. In 2010, the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH) launched a reimbursement-driven implementation of multiple EBPs in youth mental health care. This study examines two questions: (1) What was the coverage rate of EBPs delivered three years following initial implementation? (2) What factors are associated with the coverage rates?

METHODS

To assess coverage rates of publicly insured youth, we used LACDMH administrative claims data from July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014 and estimates of the size of the targeted eligible youth population from the 2014 American Community Survey (ACS). The unit of analysis was clinic service areas (n = 254). We used Geographic Information Systems and an OLS regression to assess community and clinic characteristics related to coverage.

RESULTS

The county coverage rate was estimated at 17%, much higher than national estimates. The proportion of ethnic minorities, individuals who are foreign-born, adults with a college degree within a geographic area were negatively associated with clinic service area coverage rates. Having more therapists who speak a language other than English, providing care outside of clinics, and higher proportion of households without a car were associated with higher coverage rates.

CONCLUSION

Heterogeneity in municipal mental health record type and availability makes it difficult to compare the LACDMH coverage rate with other efforts. However, the LACDMH initiative has higher coverage than published national rates. Having bilingual therapists and providing services outside the clinic was associated with higher coverage. Even with higher coverage, inequities persisted.

Coverage Parity And Racial And Ethnic Disparities In Mental Health And Substance Use Care Among Medicare Beneficiaries

Many older Americans do not receive needed care for mental health and substance use disorders (MHSUD), and there are substantial racial and ethnic disparities in receipt of this care across the lifespan. Medicare introduced cost-sharing parity for outpatient MHSUD care during the period 2010-14, reducing beneficiaries' out-of-pocket share of MHSUD spending from 50 percent to 20 percent. Among traditional Medicare beneficiaries ages sixty-five and older, we examined changes in MHSUD use and spending during the period 2008-18 for low-income beneficiaries with the cost-sharing reduction versus a control group of beneficiaries with free care throughout the study period among Black, Hispanic, Asian, and American Indian/Alaska Native versus White beneficiaries. Among older Medicare beneficiaries, overall use of MHSUD services increased during this period. For White beneficiaries, MHSUD cost-sharing parity was associated with an increased likelihood of having specialty MHSUD visits and medication use and a reduced likelihood of having unmonitored MHSUD medication use and MHSUD emergency department visits and hospitalizations. However, cost-sharing parity was associated with smaller or no gains in MHSUD services use for racial and ethnic minority beneficiaries compared with White beneficiaries, thus widening racial and ethnic disparities in MHSUD care.

Mental Health Care Access and Individual Help-Seeking During the Covid-19 Pandemic

The UJA Covid-19 Jewish Impact Study constitutes a random sample of 4403 adults in Jewish households in the New York area. Collected between February and May 2021, the data include symptoms of depression and anxiety and the use of professional help. Via respondents' zip code tabulation areas (ZCTAs), these data are linked to contextual measures of mental health care access from two data sources: the SAMHSA Locator on specialty community treatment clinics, and the Zip Code Business Patterns database on solo and small group practices. Both treatment facilities and office practices are added to multilevel logistic regression models as density rates (per 10,000 people) and as binary indicators of presence. While we find no meaningful relationship between the general presence of mental health care services and help-seeking behavior, the ZCTA-level density of office practices is significantly associated with service utilization among the socially isolated, foreign-born and Hispanics or non-white respondents.

Perceived neighborhood factors, health behaviors, and related outcomes in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos

Hispanic/Latino populations may experience significant neighborhood disadvantage, but limited research has explored whether these factors affect their health behaviors. Associations between perceived neighborhood factors at Visit 1 and health behaviors and related outcomes at Visit 2 in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos were evaluated. Multivariable logistic regression assessed cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships between perceived neighborhood social cohesion (NSC, 5 items), and neighborhood problems (NP, 7 items), with cancer screening, current smoking, excessive/binge drinking, hypertension, obesity, physical activity, and poor diet by gender and birthplace. NSC and NP scores were converted into quartiles. Mean age of participants was 42.5 years and 62.1% were women. Perceived NP, but not perceived NSC, differed by gender (p < 0.001). In unstratified models, no significant associations were observed between perceived NSC and any health behavior, whereas greater perceived NP was associated with less adherence to colon cancer screening (moderate level: aOR = 0.68, 95% CI = 0.51, 090) and more physical activity (very high level: aOR = 1.34, 95% CI = 1.06, 1.69) compared to low perceived NP. Women with moderate perceived NP, versus low NP, had a lower odds of colon cancer screening at Visit 1 (aOR = 0.62, 95% CI = 0.43, 0.91) and higher odds of mammogram adherence at Visit 2 (aOR = 2.86, 95% CI = 1.44, 5.68). Men with high perceived NP had a higher odds of excessive or binge drinking at Visit 2 (aOR = 1.99, 95% CI = 1.19, 3.31). We conclude that perceived NP were significantly related to health behaviors among HCHS/SOL individuals. Perceptions of neighborhood environment may be considered modifiable factors of structural neighborhood environment interventions.

Depression among Underserved Rural and Urban Caregivers of Latinas with Breast Cancer

Among Latino/as, informal caregiving duties are often deemed a family responsibility. Understanding psychological outcomes tied to caregivers of Latina breast cancer survivors is important to identify the impacts of cancer. Secondary analysis of baseline data collected in a randomized clinical trial (RCT) from 230 Latina breast cancer survivor-caregiver dyads. Characteristics of caregivers residing in rural/underserved and urban areas were compared using t- or chi-square tests. General linear models were used to analyze depressive symptoms in relation to residence, survivor-caregiver relationship, acculturation, obligation, reciprocity, and comorbidities. Urban residence was significantly associated with higher levels of depression controlling for survivor-caregiver relationship acculturation, obligation, reciprocity, and comorbidities. Mother caregivers had significantly higher levels of depression than other caregivers. Depression among Latino/a caregiver's providing care to an adult child is an important consideration as Latino/as are less likely to seek out/have access to mental health services than other groups.

Framework for Understanding and Addressing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Children's Mental Health

In this framework, we synthesize the results of studies addressing racial/ethnic disparities in children's mental health through 4 domains hypothesized to impact minoritized children and their families: (1) policies, (2) institutional systems, (3) neighborhoods/community system, and (4) individual/family-level factors. We focus on children and adolescents, presenting findings that may impact mental health outcomes for major racial/ethnic groups in North America: Black/African American, Latinx, Asian, and American Indian youth. We conclude by suggesting areas for needed research, including whether certain domains of influence demonstrate differential impact for inequities reduction depending on the youth's race/ethnicity.

Integrated Behavioral Health Implementation Patterns in Primary Care Using the Cross-Model Framework: A Latent Class Analysis

Primary care has increasingly adopted integrated behavioral health (IBH) practices to enhance overall care. The IBH Cross-Model Framework clarifies the core processes and structures of IBH, but little is known about how practices vary in the implementation of these processes and structures. This study aimed to describe clusters of clinics using the IBH Cross-Model Framework for a large sample of primary care clinics, as well as contextual variables associated with differences in implementation. Primary care clinics (N = 102) in Minnesota reported their level of implementation across 18 different components of IBH via the site self-assessment (SSA). The components were mapped to all five principles and four of the nine structures of the IBH Cross-Model Framework. latent class analysis was used to identify unique clusters of IBH components from the SSA across the IBH Cross-Model Framework's processes and structures. Latent classes were then regressed onto context variables. A four-class model was determined to be the best fit: Low IBH (39.6%), Structural IBH (7.9%), Partial IBH (29.4%), and Strong IBH (23.1%). Partial IBH clinics were more urban than the other three classes, lower in SES risk than Structural IBH clinics, and located in smaller organizations than Strong IBH clinics. There were no differences between classes in race/ethnicity of the clinic area or practice size. Four groups of IBH implementation were identified representing unique profiles of integration. These clusters may represent patterns of community-based implementation of IBH that indicate easier and more challenging aspects of IBH implementation.

COVID-19 Mental Health Disparities

Communities of color in the United States have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Studies exploring the mental health implications of these disparities have only just begun to emerge. The purpose of this study is to better understand mental health concerns and test whether social determinants of health and COVID-19-related experiences influence these concerns. In April 2020, we launched a community-based survey for adults across the United States. A total of 341 respondents completed the survey, which included questions about demographics, depression, social isolation, work environment, and preexisting mental health conditions. We generated matched controls by adding county data from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to our survey. Chi square, Pearson product-moment correlation, point biserial correlation, and logistic regression were estimated. Our analysis revealed that respondents who identified as Latinx, Latin@, or Hispanic were 10 times more likely to meet the threshold score for depression. Similarly, individuals with prior mental health conditions and those who expressed feelings of social isolation due to COVID-19 were 3 times more likely to meet the threshold score for depression. These results confirm our hypothesis that communities of color will likely experience disproportionate mental health impacts of COVID-19-specifically, the mental health sequela that emerge from exposure, cumulative burden, and social isolation. We discuss the implications for expanding access and quality of health and mental health services to address current inequities.

Contribution of Social Determinant of Health Factors to Rural-Urban Preventive Care Differences Among Medicaid Enrollees

OBJECTIVE

1) Assess whether rural-urban disparities are present in pediatric preventive health care utilization; and 2) use regression decomposition to measure the contribution of social determinants of health (SDH) to those disparities.

METHODS

With an Ohio Medicaid population served by a pediatric Accountable Care Organization, Partners For Kids, between 2017 and 2019, we used regression decomposition (a nonlinear multivariate regression decomposition model) to analyze the contribution of patient, provider, and SDH factors to the rural-urban well-child visit gap among children in Ohio.

RESULTS

Among the 453,519 eligible Medicaid enrollees, 61.2% of urban children received a well-child visit. Well-child visit receipt among children from large rural cities/towns and small/isolated towns was 58.2% and 55.5%, respectively. Comparing large rural towns to urban centers, 55.8% of the 3.0 percentage-point difference was explained by patient, provider, and community-level SDH factors. In comparing small/isolated town to urban centers, 89.8% of the 5.7 percentage-point difference was explained by these characteristics. Of provider characteristics, pediatrician providers were associated with increased well visit receipt. Of the SDH factors, unemployment and education contributed the most to the explained difference in large rural towns while unemployment, education, and food deserts contributed significantly to the small/isolated town difference.

CONCLUSIONS

The receipt of pediatric preventive care is slightly lower in rural communities. While modest, the largest part of the rural-urban preventive care gap can be explained by differences in provider type, poverty, unemployment, and education levels. More could be done to improve pediatric preventive care in all communities.

Disparities in Medical Debt Among U.S. Adults with Serious Psychological Distress

Purpose: To examine indebtedness for medical care among racial and ethnic minorities and people with serious psychological distress (SPD) using a nationally representative sample in the United States.

Methods: Using the 2014–2017 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, we examine medical debt among individuals with SPD. We develop a logistic regression model to estimate the odds of medical debt by SPD status. We stratify the odds of medical debt for those with SPD by insurance type.

Results: The results indicate that after controlling for predisposing, enabling, and physical needs factors, those experiencing SPD have double the odds of having medical debt compared with those without SPD. Non-Hispanic blacks had higher odds of medical debt compared with non-Hispanic whites. We find that individuals with SPD covered under private health insurance have double the odds of having medical debts; and those who are uninsured have triple the odds of having medical debt compared with their counterparts without SPD.

Conclusion: The findings suggest that odds of medical debt are higher among people with SPD, even when insured. Additional health policy initiatives to address medical debt among those with SPD may be warranted.

A feasibility study providing substance use treatment in the Black church

BACKGROUND

Black adults with substance use disorders (SUDs) experience health care disparities, including access to and retention in treatment. The Black church is a trusted institution in the Black community and could be a novel setting for providing SUD treatment.

METHOD

We conducted a nonrandomized feasibility study evaluating (1) whether it was possible to conduct a clinical trial of SUD treatment in this setting, (2) whether an adequate number of individuals with SUDs would participate in technology-based treatment in this setting, and (3) whether an adequate number of individuals would be retained in this setting. We evaluated computer-based training for cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT4CBT), with modifications that the church-based health advisors (CHAs), who delivered the intervention within the church, made.

RESULTS

Participants were 40 Black adults, all of whom met DSM-5 criteria for a current SUD, (55% severe). The mean number of sessions completed was 6.8 and 31 completed all 7 sessions of CBT4CBT. Both self-reports and weekly urine toxicology screens indicated reduction in substance use over time.

CONCLUSION

We demonstrated feasibility, as we were able to (1) collect weekly data and protect participant confidentiality, (2) recruit an adequate number of individuals with SUD, with (3) high uptake and retention of an adapted CBT4CBT in the Black church. If demonstrated to be effective in a future randomized clinical trial, delivery of technology-based treatments in the Black church may prove a promising, easily disseminable strategy to provide evidence-based interventions to an underserved and undertreated population.

Shifting the Policy Paradigm to Achieve Equity

This article offers a brief history of mental health policies that have shaped current inequities in health care financing and service delivery. Mental health has a unique position within the health care system given the pervasive nature of stigma associated with illness; race and ethnicity often amplify this burden. The acknowledgment of disparities in mental health and the development of policies that address the needs of minority groups are relatively recent phenomena. Highlighted are legislative actions that have influenced reforms of the health care landscape. This text outlines opportunities to advance a targeted, community-based approach to mental health policy development.

Physical activity-mediated associations between perceived neighborhood social environment and depressive symptoms among Jackson Heart Study participants

BACKGROUND

Little is known about the associations between perceived neighborhood social environment (PNSE) and depressive symptoms among African Americans. Furthermore, the role of physical activity (PA) as a mediator of this association has not been investigated. The two-fold objectives of this study, therefore, were (1) to examine the associations between PNSE and depressive symptoms among African Americans, and (2) to test the degree to which these associations were mediated by total PA.

METHODS

We used baseline data from the Jackson Heart Study (JHS), a single-site, prospective, community-based study of African-American adults (n = 2209) recruited from Jackson, Mississippi. PNSE variables included scores for neighborhood violence (i.e., higher score = more violence), problems (higher score = more problems), and social cohesion (higher score = more cohesion). Depressive symptoms were measured by the 20-item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D) score. First, multilevel modeling, controlling for census tract clustering effects, was used to estimate associations between each PNSE variable and CES-D score, adjusting for covariates, including demographic, health-related, and population density. Second, validated, self-reported total PA, based on active living, sport, and home indices, was tested as the mediator. Multivariable linear regressions with bootstrap-generated 95% bias-corrected confidence intervals (BC CIs) were estimated to test for significant unstandardized indirect effects, controlling for all covariates.

RESULTS

Our participants were 64.2% female with a mean age of 52.6 (SD = 12.2) and a mean CES-D score of 10.8 (SD = 8.1). In the fully-adjusted model, neighborhood violence and problems were positively related to depressive symptoms (B = 3.59, 95%CI = 0.93, 6.26, and B = 3.06, 95%CI = 1.19, 4.93, respectively). Neighborhood violence and problems were also indirectly related to depressive symptoms via total PA (B = 0.26, 95%BC CI = 0.05, 0.55; and B = 0.15, 95%BC CI = 0.02, 0.34, respectively). Social cohesion was neither directly nor indirectly related to depressive symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

We found that higher levels of perceived neighborhood problems and violence were directly and positively associated with depressive symptoms. These associations may be explained in part by lower total PA levels. Future interventions to reduce depressive symptoms attributed to neighborhood features should consider emphasizing built environment features that facilitate PA increases in conjunction with community efforts to reduce neighborhood violence and problems.

Rapid Growth of Mental Health Services at Community Health Centers

Community Health Centers (CHCs) target medically underserved communities and expanded by 70% in the last decade. We know little, however, about mental health services at CHCs. We analyzed data from 2006 to 2015 and determined county-level drivers of these services. Mental health patients at CHCs fall from 2006 to 2007 but then rise consistently from 2007 to 2015. Counties with fewer physicians, greater percent insured and greater percent white population show faster growth in mental health services. Increases in mental health services at CHCs outpace general CHC growth and reflect federal efforts to integrate behavioral health care into primary care.

Accountable Care Organizations and Preventable Hospitalizations Among Patients With Depression

INTRODUCTION

Accountable care organizations have been successful in improving quality of care, but little is known about who is benefiting from accountable care organizations and through what mechanism. This study examined variation of potentially preventable hospitalizations for chronic conditions with coexisting depression in adults by hospital accountable care organization affiliation and care coordination strategies by race/ethnicity.

METHODS

Data files of 11 states from 2015 State Inpatient Databases were used to identify potentially preventable hospitalizations for chronic conditions with coexisting depression by race/ethnicity; the 2015 American Hospital Association's Annual Survey was used to identify hospital accountable care organization affiliation; and American Hospital Association's Survey of Care Systems and Payment (collected from January to August 2016) was used to identify hospital Accountable care organizations affiliation and hospital-based care coordination strategies, such as telephonic outreach, and chronic care management. In 2019, multiple logistic regressions was used to test the probability of potentially preventable hospitalization by accountable care organization affiliation and race/ethnicity. The test was repeated on a subsample analysis of accountable care organization-affiliated hospitals by care coordination strategy.

RESULTS

Preventable hospitalizations were significantly lower among accountable care organization-affiliated hospitals than accountable care organization-unaffiliated hospitals. Lower preventable hospitalization rates were observed among white, African American, Native American, and Hispanic patients. Effective care coordination strategies varied by patients' race. Results also showed variation of the adoption of specific care coordination strategies among accountable care organization-affiliated hospitals. Analysis further indicated effective care coordination strategies varied by patients' race.

CONCLUSIONS

Accountable care organizations and specifically designed care coordination strategies can potentially improve preventable hospitalization rates and racial disparities among patients with depression. Findings support the integration of mental and physical health services and provide insights for Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services risk adjustment efforts across race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status.

The Role of County Characteristics in Mental Health Service Use by Older African Americans

OBJECTIVE

Older African Americans may underutilize mental health services, although they experience mental health problems at rates comparable with those of whites. Untreated mental disorders contribute to increased risk of morbidity and mortality and decreased quality of life, and therefore, understanding the factors that influence racial disparities in service use is critical. This study examined whether county characteristics were associated with mental health service use by older African Americans after the analyses adjusted for individual characteristics.

METHODS

This study combined individual-level data from the 2008-2012 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey with county-level data for 2008-2012 from the 2013-2014 Area Health Resources Files and county-level data from the 2008-2012 Chronic Conditions Report of the Chronic Conditions Data Warehouse for 1,567 community-dwelling African Americans ages 60 and older. Multilevel logistic regressions were used to examine the role of county characteristics on mental health services use with adjustment for individual-level risk factors.

RESULTS

At the county level, individuals living in a county with a higher proportion of African Americans were less likely to use mental health services. At the individual level, higher income and mental health status were associated with mental health service utilization.

CONCLUSIONS

Among older African Americans, the racial composition of one's county of residence played a role in mental health service use, indicating the need for future research focusing on the relationship between an area's racial composition and mental health service use. Programs may be able to ameliorate racial disparities in mental health care by targeting areas with a higher percentage of African Americans.

Disparities in Mental Health Care Utilization and Perceived Need Among Asian Americans: 2012-2016

OBJECTIVE

The objective was to examine mental health treatment access disparities between Asians and whites in the United States as well as the role of perceived and objective need and barriers to treatment in these disparities.

METHODS

Data are five annual cross-sections (2012-2016) of responses from Asian Americans and whites to the nationally representative National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Multivariate logistic regression analyses adjusting for sociodemographic factors were conducted to compare past-year treatment access rates between Asians and whites across three need subgroups: those with perceived need for treatment, those with past-year serious psychological distress, and those with a past-year major depressive episode. Barriers to treatment were compared between Asians and whites with perceived need.

RESULTS

Asians were less likely than whites to have accessed mental health treatment in the past year in all analyses. Compared with Asians with need determined by structured diagnostic instruments, Asians with perceived need had higher rates of mental health care access, but even among respondents with perceived need, the disparity between whites and Asians remained. Regarding barriers to treatment, only one barrier (not knowing where to go for treatment) was more likely to be reported for Asians than whites.

CONCLUSIONS

Differences between Asians and whites in perceived need for mental health treatment do not explain the wide disparities in mental health care access between these two groups. Clinical interventions improving the relevance and fit of mental health care and community-based outreach interventions increasing awareness of available services are needed to improve access to mental health treatment among Asians.

Disparities in outpatient visits for mental health and/or substance use disorders during the COVID surge and partial reopening in Massachusetts

OBJECTIVE

To examine changes in outpatient visits for mental health and/or substance use disorders (MH/SUD) in an integrated healthcare organization during the initial Massachusetts COVID-19 surge and partial state reopening.

METHODS

Observational study of outpatient MH/SUD visits January 1st-June 30th, 2018-2020 by: 1) visit diagnosis group, 2) provider type, 3) patient race/ethnicity, 4) insurance, and 5) visit method (telemedicine vs. in-person).

RESULTS

Each year, January-June 52,907-73,184 patients were seen for a MH/SUD visit. While non-MH/SUD visits declined during the surge relative to 2020 pre-pandemic (-38.2%), MH/SUD visits increased (9.1%)-concentrated in primary care (35.3%) and non-Hispanic Whites (10.5%). During the surge, MH visit volume increased 11.7% while SUD decreased 12.7%. During partial reopening, while MH visits returned to 2020 pre-pandemic levels, SUD visits declined 31.1%; MH/SUD visits decreased by Hispanics (-33.0%) and non-Hispanic Blacks (-24.6%), and among Medicaid (-19.4%) and Medicare enrollees (-20.9%). Telemedicine accounted for ~5% of MH/SUD visits pre-pandemic and 83.3%-83.5% since the surge.

CONCLUSIONS

MH/SUD visit volume increased during the COVID surge and was supported by rapidly-scaled telemedicine. Despite this, widening diagnostic and racial/ethnic disparities in MH/SUD visit volume during the surge and reopening suggest additional barriers for these vulnerable populations, and warrant continued monitoring and research.

Integrating local health departments to reduce suicide-related emergency department visits among people with substance use disorders - Evidence from the state of Maryland

Individuals with a substance use disorder (SUD) are six times as likely than those without a SUD to attempt suicide, however just 18% of the SUD population has received treatment. One of the barriers to treatment is appropriate and timely mental health services. This resulted in a substantial increase in emergency department (ED) visits related to SUD and suicide. This study sought to determine if the number of suicide-related ED visits for patients with SUD is associated with the types of mental health activities provided by their local health department (LHD). Specifically, we examined whether patients with a SUD aged 18-64 experienced reductions in suicide-related ED visits when their LHD directly engaged in mental health activities, such as (1) primary prevention for mental illness or (2) mental health services. Using linked datasets for 2012 from the National Profile of Local Health Departments, U.S. Census data, Area Health Resource File, and Maryland's State Emergency Department Databases (SEDD), we employed multivariable logistic regressions and instrumental variable models to examine this association. After adjusting for the endogeneity of LHDs' activity measures and controlling for individual-, hospital-, LHD-, and county-level characteristics, results demonstrated patients with a SUD experienced a 6% and 5% reduction in suicide-related ED visits when their LHD directly provided primary prevention for mental illness and mental health services, respectively. The results are small but significant, with robust standard errors. This study suggests LHDs may be key players in preventing suicide-related ED visits among the SUD population.

Changes in Health Insurance Coverage and Barriers to Health Care Access Among Individuals with Serious Psychological Distress Following the Affordable Care Act

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) aims to expand health insurance coverage and minimize financial barriers to receiving health care services for individuals. However, little is known about how the ACA has impacted individuals with mental health conditions. This study finds that the implementation of the ACA is associated with an increase in rate of health insurance coverage among nonelderly adults with serious psychological distress (SPD) and a reduction in delaying and forgoing necessary care. The ACA also reduced the odds of an individual with SPD not being able to afford mental health care. Mental health care access among racial and ethnic minority populations and people with low income has improved during 2014-2016, but gaps remain.

Trends in Mental Health Care Use in Medicare from 2009 to 2014 by Gender Minority and Disability Status

Purpose: This study examines trends in Medicare beneficiaries' mental health care use from 2009 to 2014 by gender minority and disability status. Methods: Using 2009 to 2014 Medicare claims, we modeled mental health care use (outpatient mental health care, inpatient mental health care, and psychotropic drugs) over time, adjusting for age and behavioral health diagnoses. We compared trends for gender minority beneficiaries (identified using diagnosis codes) to trends for a 5% random sample of other beneficiaries, stratified by original entitlement reason (age vs. disability). Results: Adjusted outpatient and inpatient mental health care use decreased and differences generally narrowed between gender minority and other beneficiaries over the study period. Among beneficiaries qualifying through disability, the gap in the number of outpatient and inpatient visits (among those with at least one visit in a given year) widened. Psychotropic drug use rose for all beneficiaries, but the proportion of gender minority beneficiaries in the aged cohort who had a psychotropic medication prescription rose faster than for other aged beneficiaries. Conclusions: Mental health care needs for Medicare beneficiaries may be met increasingly by using psychotropic medications rather than outpatient visits, and this pattern is more pronounced for identified gender minority (especially aged) beneficiaries. These trends may indicate a growing need for research and provider training in safe and effective psychotropic medication prescribing alongside gender-affirming treatments such as hormone therapy, especially for aged gender minority individuals who likely already experience polypharmacy.

How long does it take to complete outpatient substance use disorder treatment? Disparities among Blacks, Hispanics, and Whites in the US

This research investigates racial and ethnic disparities in outpatient substance use disorder treatment completion and duration in treatment, for different substances, across the US, using the national 2014 Treatment Episode Dataset-Discharge (TEDS-D) data set. Moderated fixed effects logistic regression models assessed effects of race/ethnicity on length of stay in treatment and treatment completion for different substances of use. Moderated models also assessed the differential effect of length of stay on treatment completion among Blacks, Hispanics, and Whites. While Blacks and Hispanics both have significantly lower treatment completion rates than Whites, treatment duration is substantially similar across the three groups. Blacks and Hispanics generally take longer to complete treatment than Whites, though this varies by substance for Hispanics. Disparities in treatment completion persist even after controlling for treatment duration. These results indicate that observed racial and ethnic disparities in treatment completion are not due to differences in length of stay in treatment. Economic, cultural, accessibility, or, potentially, discriminatory, factors may suppress the likelihood of treatment completion for minorities and result in longer treatment durations required for completion. Recognition by treatment providers of the unique challenges to treatment completion faced by minorities may enhance treatment outcomes for minorities in the US.

Psychology across cultures: Challenges and opportunities

Large variations of inequalities in rates of mental health disorders and access to mental health care exist within and between countries. Globally, disparities range from countries where there is little provision to those where, despite the availability of evidence-based mental health care, service access and outcomes are mediated by social factors such as socio-economic status, race/ethnicity, and culture. This is salient because increasingly diverse populations are inevitably created with globalization. We posit that in multicultural contexts, effective therapeutic engagement requires therapists who are competent and confident to work with diversity and difference, utilizing insights into their own as well as their clients' internal and external worlds. Although there are many reasons why psychotherapies can be insensitive and harmful, for example, the inherent power imbalance in therapeutic relationships, a lack of awareness of cultural and ethnic variation and needs are among them. Acquisition of 'cultural competence' and increasing availability of culturally-adapted interventions should, in theory, enable practitioners to work with a range of individuals with whom they might have little in common. However, whilst cultural adaptation appears promising, there are concerns regarding its viability as a strategy for tackling disparities in access to psychological care. Evidence for cultural competency is patchy at best. We show how and why delivering effective psychotherapy in the twenty-first century requires a paradigm shift from current approaches to truly integrated models, developed in collaboration with recipients of care. Coproducing interventions, training, and means of evaluating them with clients necessitates taking into consideration social contexts, alternative conceptualizations of mental health and disorders and difficulties, and what constitutes appropriate helpful interventions for psychological distress. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Upskilling therapists to work with diversity and difference is essential for effective delivery of psychological treatments. Increasing the availability of culturally-adapted interventions together with therapists who are sufficiently competent and confident to deliver them should enable practitioners to work with a range of individuals with whom they might have little in common. Coproducing culturally appropriate means of responding to mental health difficulties, staff training and development, and service evaluation methods with clients necessitates taking into consideration social contexts, alternative explanatory models of mental health and 'illness', and what constitutes helpful interventions for psychological distress.

Community Engagement and Planning versus Resources for Services for Implementing Depression Quality Improvement: Exploratory Analysis for Black and Latino Adults

Objective

Racial/ethnic minorities experience disparities in depression1 and there is a paucity of evidence-based interventions to improve depression care access and outcomes. Community Partners in Care (CPIC) is a community-partnered study of depression care quality improvement (QI) in under-resourced, urban communities: Community Engagement and Planning (CEP) for multi-sector coalitions, and Resources for Services (RS) for program technical assistance.2 CEP demonstrated benefits for the overall CPIC study population; effects for Black and Latino sub-populations are unknown.

Methods

This sub-analysis examines outcomes for 409 Latino and 488 Black (non-Latino) adults recruited from 90 programs who completed baseline or 6-month follow-up. Regression analyses were used to estimate CEP vs RS intervention effects on primary (Mental Health Related Quality of Life [MHRQL], Patient Health Questionnaire-9 [PHQ-9]) and community-prioritized (mental wellness, physical activity, risk for homelessness) outcomes at 6-months.

Results

Baseline characteristics did not differ significantly by intervention in either group. In the adjusted analysis for Black adults, CEP resulted in decreased odds of poor MHRQL (OR: .62, 95% CI=.41-.94, P=.028) with a trend for reducing homelessness risk (OR: .60, .35-1.05, P=.69). For Latino adults, CEP resulted in greater probability of mental wellness (OR: 1.81, 1.05-3.13, P=.034) and a trend for increased physical activity (OR: 1.52, .93-2.49, P=.091).

Conclusions

Exploratory analyses of CEP for depression quality improvement suggests significant 6-month benefits in mental health outcomes for Black and Latino participants and trends for improvement in community-prioritized outcomes for both groups. Findings may inform research in multi-sector coalitions to promote equity in depression care.

African Americans and Caribbean Blacks: Perceived neighborhood disadvantage and depression

The purpose of this study was to advance a theoretical understanding of the effects of impoverished neighborhoods on mental health and to inform policy measures encouraging residents to leave such neighborhoods. To do this, we investigated whether individuals' perceived neighborhood disadvantage served as a risk factor for clinical depression in a nationally representative sample of African Americans and Caribbean Blacks. We performed logistic regression analysis on stratified socioeconomic status (SES) subsamples from the National Survey of American Life sample of 5,019 African Americans and Caribbean Blacks. The association between perceived neighborhood social disorder and past-year depression was statistically significant for low-SES individuals (at or below the federal poverty line; odds ratio [OR] = 1.73, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.07, 2.81], p = 0.026) and at the boundary of significance for middle-SES individuals (between 100% and 300% of the poverty line; OR = 1.74, 95% CI [1.00, 3.02], p = 0.052), but not for high-SES individuals (at or above 300% of the poverty line). Results suggest, at least for low- and middle-income African Americans, perceived neighborhood social disorder is a risk factor for depression. U.S. housing policies aimed at neighborhood improvement and poverty de-concentration may benefit the mental health of low-income African Americans and Caribbean Blacks.

Mental health care among blacks in America: Confronting racism and constructing solutions

OBJECTIVES

To describe reasons for unmet need for mental health care among blacks, identify factors associated with causes of unmet need, examine racism as a context of unmet need, and construct ways to improve service use.

DATA SOURCES

Data from the 2011-2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health were pooled to create an analytic sample of black adults with unmet mental health need (N = 1237). Qualitative data came from focus groups (N = 30) recruited through purposive sampling.

STUDY DESIGN

Using sequential mixed methods, reasons for unmet need were regressed on sociodemographic, economic, and health characteristics of respondents. Findings were further explored in focus groups.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Higher education was associated with greater odds of reporting stigma and minimization of symptoms as reasons for unmet need. The fear of discrimination based on race and on mental illness was exacerbated among college-educated blacks. Racism causes mistrust in mental health service systems. Participants expressed the importance of anti-racism education and community-driven practice in reducing unmet need.

CONCLUSION

Mental health systems should confront racism and engage the historical and contemporary racial contexts within which black people experience mental health problems. Critical self-reflection at the individual level and racial equity analysis at the organizational level are critical.

Community Engagement and Planning versus Resources for Services for Implementing Depression Quality Improvement: Exploratory Analysis for Black and Latino Adults

OBJECTIVE

Racial/ethnic minorities experience disparities in depression1 and there is a paucity of evidence-based interventions to improve depression care access and outcomes. Community Partners in Care (CPIC) is a community-partnered study of depression care quality improvement (QI) in under-resourced, urban communities: Community Engagement and Planning (CEP) for multi-sector coalitions, and Resources for Services (RS) for program technical assistance.2 CEP demonstrated benefits for the overall CPIC study population; effects for Black and Latino sub-populations are unknown.

METHODS

This sub-analysis examines outcomes for 409 Latino and 488 Black (non-Latino) adults recruited from 90 programs who completed baseline or 6-month follow-up. Regression analyses were used to estimate CEP vs RS intervention effects on primary (Mental Health Related Quality of Life [MHRQL], Patient Health Questionnaire-9 [PHQ-9]) and community-prioritized (mental wellness, physical activity, risk for homelessness) outcomes at 6-months.

RESULTS

Baseline characteristics did not differ significantly by intervention in either group. In the adjusted analysis for Black adults, CEP resulted in decreased odds of poor MHRQL (OR: .62, 95% CI=.41-.94, P=.028) with a trend for reducing homelessness risk (OR: .60, .35-1.05, P=.69). For Latino adults, CEP resulted in greater probability of mental wellness (OR: 1.81, 1.05-3.13, P=.034) and a trend for increased physical activity (OR: 1.52, .93-2.49, P=.091).

CONCLUSIONS

Exploratory analyses of CEP for depression quality improvement suggests significant 6-month benefits in mental health outcomes for Black and Latino participants and trends for improvement in community-prioritized outcomes for both groups. Findings may inform research in multi-sector coalitions to promote equity in depression care.

Local Health Departments' Promotion of Mental Health Care and Reductions in 30-Day All-Cause Readmission Rates in Maryland

BACKGROUND

Individuals affected with mental health conditions, including mood disorders and substance abuse, are at an increased risk of hospital readmission.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study is to examine whether local health departments' (LHDs) active roles of promoting mental health are associated with reductions in 30-day all-cause readmission rates, a common quality metric.

METHODS

Using datasets linked from multiple sources, including 2012-2013 State Inpatient Databases for the State of Maryland, the National Association of County and City Health Officials Profiles Survey, the Area Health Resource File, and US Census data, we employed multivariate logistic models to examine whether LHDs' active provision of mental health preventive care, mental health services, and health promotion were associated with the likelihood of having any 30-day all-cause readmission.

RESULTS

Multivariate logistic regressions showed that LHDs' provision of mental health preventive care, mental health services, and health promotion were negatively associated with the likelihoods of having any 30-day readmission for adults 18-64 years old (odds ratios=0.71-0.82, P<0.001), and adults 65 and above (odds ratios=0.61-0.63, P<0.001, preventive care and services, respectively). These estimated associations were more prominent among individuals with mental illness and/or substance use disorders, African Americans, Medicare, and Medicaid enrollees.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that LHDs in Maryland that engage in mental health prevention, promotion, and coordination activities are associated with benefits for residents and for the health care system at large. Additional research is needed to evaluate LHD activities in other states to determine if these results are generalizable.

Public Health System-Delivered Mental Health Preventive Care Links to Significant Reduction of Health Care Costs

The objective was to estimate the association between health care expenditures and implementation of preventive mental health programs by local health departments (LHDs). Multilevel nationally representative data sets were linked to test the hypothesis that LHDs' provision of preventive mental health programs was associated with cost savings. A generalized linear model with log link and gamma distribution and state-fixed effects was used to estimate the association between LHDs' mental illness prevention services and total health care expenditures per person per year for adults aged 18 years and older. The main outcome measure was the annual total health care expenditure per person. The findings indicated that LHD provision of population-based prevention of mental illness was associated with an $824 reduction (95% confidence interval: -$1,562.94 to -$85.42, P < 0.05) in annual health care costs per person, after controlling for individual, LHD, community, and state characteristics. LHDs can play a critical role in establishing an integrated health care model. Their impact, however, has often been underestimated or neglected. Results showed that a small investment in LHDs may yield substantial cost savings at the societal level. The findings of this research are critical to inform policy decisions for the expansion of the Public Health 3.0 infrastructure.

Identifying Gender Minority Patients' Health And Health Care Needs In Administrative Claims Data

Health care utilization patterns for gender minority Medicare beneficiaries (those who are transgender or gender nonbinary people) are largely unknown. We identified gender minority beneficiaries using a diagnosis-code algorithm and compared them to a 5 percent random sample of non-gender minority beneficiaries from the period 2009-14 in terms of mental health and chronic diseases, use of preventive and mental health care, hospitalizations, and emergency department (ED) visits. Gender minority beneficiaries experienced more disability and mental illness. When we adjusted for age and mental health, we found that they used more mental health care. And when we adjusted for age and chronic conditions, we found that they were more likely to be hospitalized and to visit the ED. There were several small but significant differences in preventive care use. Findings were similar for disabled and older cohorts. These findings underscore the need to capture gender identity in health data to better address this population's health needs.

Reducing Preventable Hospitalization and Disparity: Association With Local Health Department Mental Health Promotion Activities

INTRODUCTION

Serving as the center of community-engaged health programs, local health departments can play a critical role in promoting community mental health. The objectives of this study were to explore the association between local health department activities and (1) preventable hospitalizations for individuals with mental disorders, and (2) associated racial disparities in preventable hospitalizations.

METHOD

Employing the linked data sets of the 2012-2013 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project state inpatient discharge file of the State of Maryland, the National Association of County and City Health Officials Profiles Survey, the Area Resource File, and U.S. Census data, the authors estimated the association between local health department activities (i.e., provision of mental health preventive care and community mental health promotion) and the reduction of the preventable hospitalizations for ambulatory care-sensitive conditions and coexisting mental disorders. All the data analyses were conducted during September 2016-August 2017.

RESULTS

Multilevel regression showed that local health departments' provision of mental health preventive care (OR=0.76, 95% CI=0.63, 0.92) and mental health promotion activities (OR=0.77, 95% CI=0.62, 0.94) were significantly associated with lower rates of preventable hospitalizations for individuals with ambulatory care-sensitive conditions and coexisting mental disorders. Decomposition results suggested that local health departments' direct provision of mental health preventive care could reduce 9% of the racial disparities.

CONCLUSIONS

Improving care coordination and integration are essential to meeting the growing demands for healthcare access, while controlling costs and improving quality of service delivery. These results suggest that it will be effective to engage local health departments in the integrated behavioral health system.

Racial/ethnic differences in perception of need for mental health treatment in a US national sample

PURPOSE

To resolve contradictory evidence regarding racial/ethnic differences in perceived need for mental health treatment in the USA using a large and diverse epidemiologic sample.

METHODS

Samples from 6 years of a repeated cross-sectional survey of the US civilian non-institutionalized population were combined (N = 232,723). Perceived need was compared across three non-Hispanic groups (whites, blacks and Asian-Americans) and two Hispanic groups (English interviewees and Spanish interviewees). Logistic regression models were used to test for variation across groups in the relationship between severity of mental illness and perceived need for treatment.

RESULTS

Adjusting statistically for demographic and socioeconomic characteristics and for severity of mental illness, perceived need was less common in all racial/ethnic minority groups compared to whites. The prevalence difference (relative to whites) was smallest among Hispanics interviewed in English, -5.8% (95% CI -6.5, -5.2%), and largest among Hispanics interviewed in Spanish, -11.2% (95% CI -12.4, -10.0%). Perceived need was significantly less common among all minority racial/ethnic groups at each level of severity. In particular, among those with serious mental illness, the largest prevalence differences (relative to whites) were among Asian-Americans, -23.3% (95% CI -34.9, -11.7%) and Hispanics interviewed in Spanish, 32.6% (95% CI -48.0, -17.2%).

CONCLUSIONS

This study resolves the contradiction in empirical evidence regarding the existence of racial/ethnic differences in perception of need for mental health treatment; differences exist across the range of severity of mental illness and among those with no mental illness. These differences should be taken into account in an effort to reduce mental health-care disparities.