[The Role of the Socioeconomic Status in Mental Health Care Utilization by Children and Adolescents in Germany: Results of the BELLA Study].

OBJECTIVE

Children and adolescents with a low socioeconomic status (SES) are significantly more often affected by mental health problems than their peers with a high SES. So far, little is known about the association between family's SES and utilization of mental health care. This study examines the mental health care utilization by children and adolescents depending on their SES and symptoms of mental health problems as well as the impact of mental health problems.

METHODS

The analysis comprisesd data from the population-based BELLA-study, which investigates mental health in a representative subsample of the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS). Between 2014 and 2017, 1,580 participants aged 7 to 17 years were examined. SES was measured by the indicators of household income, parental educational attainment and parental occupation status. Symptoms and impairment of mental health problems were measured using the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ and SDQ-Impact). To investigate mental health care, the consultation of child and adolescent psychiatrists, medical and psychological psychotherapists and psychologists was considered. A hierarchic binary logistic regression model was calculated predicting mental health care use. In addition, effects of SES-indicators on associations between symptoms and impairment as well as mental health care utilization (moderator analysis) were investigated.

RESULTS

Children and adolescents with a low SES were more likely to utilize mental health care services than their peers with a high SES. Mental health care utilization was significantly predicted by symptoms of mental health problems (OR=1.15, p≤0.001) as well as by the impairment caused by these problems (OR=1.68, p≤0.001); we found no significant moderation effects for household income, parental education or parental occupation.

CONCLUSION

The probability of mental health care utilization by children and adolescents is significantly predicted by the symptoms and the impairments caused by mental health problems, but not by household income, parental education or parental occupation.