| This study examined differences of the demographic and mental health service utilization between severely emotionally disturbed boys and girls. An archival database was created using 118 medical charts from a hospital based psychiatric day treatment center in New York City. Participants were 5-12 years of age at time of service and were predominantly African Americans. This study examined gender differences across demographics, service utilization, abuse history, sexualized and runaway behaviors, length of treatment and outcome as measured by discharge placement.; The result of this study showed that girls were more likely to be discharged to same or more restrictive levels of care, having greater instance of sexual abuse, and the perpetrator of all abuse instances were more likely to be a biological parent. When compared to boys, girls had significantly higher rates of both sexualized behavior and Bipolar Disorder. The majority of both girls and boys were diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Conduct Disorder. No significant differences were found on demographics and variables examining out of home placements, history of runaway or length of treatment. More than half of the participants in the study had a history of abuse.; Limitations of this study may affect generalizability to other populations. These include small sample size, restrictiveness of the level of care and age, cultural and socioeconomic demographics of the sample. Findings of this study suggest that severely emotionally disturbed girls were different from boys and that current mental health services did not adequately address girl's needs. It is hoped that these preliminary data will assist in formulating further studies of this underserved and at-risk population. Specifically, there is need for future research regarding a more effective approach of assessment and mental health treatment for severely disturbed girls. |
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