Mental health, race and ethnicity, and medical home in children with special health care needs

Abstract

Mental health concerns are common in children with chronic health conditions, and concerns and treatment vary by race and ethnicity. This study used the National Survey of Children’s Health 2019–2020 to examine the role of the medical home in addressing racial and ethnic disparities in access to mental health care. Our study identified racial and ethnic disparities in both medical home access and mental health care use among children and youth with special health care needs ages 6–17. These differences may be driven by different practice behaviors or preexisting levels of access to services by race and ethnicity.