Citation

Mak W, Rosenblatt A. J. Child Fam. Stud. 2002; 11(2): 165-178.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2002, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1023/A:1015173508474

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

We examined the influences of demographic factors on diagnostic assignment among youth served in California public mental health systems after adjusting for the effects of county characteristics and standardized symptom and functioning indices. The sample consisted of 12,106 youth with severe emotional disturbance being served in integrated and coordinated service systems in 13 counties of California. African Americans were overrepresented in the sample relative to the ethnic characteristics of the counties and Asian Americans were under-represented. Results from logistic regression analyses showed that gender, age, and ethnicity affected the assignment of eight categories of clinical diagnosis at admission. However, standardized measurement of clinical status and functioning had little relationship to clinicians' assignment of diagnosis. Whereas no significant gender and age differences were found on broadband CBCL syndromes, ethnically diverse youth differed on CBCL internalizing and externalizing scores. Youth's role functioning as assessed by the CAFAS also significantly differed by gender, age, and ethnicity.