Professor Catherine Dulmus, Dr. Eugene Maguin and Colleagues publish "Differential outcomes in agency-based mental health care between minority and majority youth"
Published October 28, 2014 This content is archived.
Congratulations to Professor Catherine Dulmus, Dr. Eugene Maguin, and colleagues on the publication of their journal article "Differential outcomes in agency-based mental health care between minority and majority youth," which appeared in Research on Social Work Practice.
Patterson, D.A., Dulmus, C.N., Maguin, E., & Perkins, J. (2014). Differential outcomes in agency-based mental health care between minority and majority youth. Research on Social Work Practice.
Abstract:
Background: Childhood mental health problems represent a significant public health concern globally. There is a converging discussion among researchers and practitioners alike that the research results of effectiveness studies are not fully generalizable and applicable to ethnoracial minority groups in real-world practice settings.
Methods: Archival data on discharges from eight residential programs for children and youth aged 5–18 and operated by a large, child and family human services agency were analyzed to identify the relationship between client demographics and treatment outcomes.
Results: Minority status was associated with lower odds of treatment success and higher odds of disengagement from treatment.
Discussion: The results found that minority youth in residential programs had less favorable outcomes, in terms of both disengagement from treatment and a successful discharge, than White youth. This study calls into question whether current treatments are reaching and best serve ethnoracial minority groups in real-world practice settings.