| Objective. To test whether the Classroom Centered (CC) and Family-School Partnership (FSP) preventive interventions led to a reduction in unmet need for mental health services and perceived need for mental health services.; Method. Data for this study come from the ongoing second-generation Johns Hopkins Prevention Intervention Research Center trials. Participants were originally recruited as first graders in 1993 to 1994. A total of 544 children and their families were available for follow-up in sixth through ninth grades. Multiple logistic regression and multivariate logistic regression were used to study the intervention impact and risk factors associated with unmet need for mental health services and perceived need for mental health services by informant (child, parent, or teacher).; Results. Overall, 63% of the children in this sample were identified by their parents as having an unmet need for mental health services, and 81% of the children identified themselves as having an unmet need for mental health services. There was a significant difference in the perceived need for mental health services. Parents were 35% less likely to perceive a need for mental health services for their children as compared to teachers. Neither the CC nor FSP interventions were significant in reducing the unmet need for mental health services or the perceived need for mental health services.; Conclusions. There is still a significant unmet need for mental health services for children. Children and their families are experiencing unnecessary distress because of missed opportunities for prevention and early interventions. Findings from this study can be used as a guide for modifying the current use of mental health services in an urban inner-city school environment. |
