Young adults in racial and ethnic minority groups who have suicidal thoughts and behaviors are far less likely to receive mental health treatment than their white peers, according to a study published June 22 in JAMA Pediatrics.
Researchers at Cambridge Health Alliance and Harvard Medical School analyzed 2022-23 data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, canvassing 27,400 young adults ages 18 to 25, including a subsample of 3,729 who reported suicidal thoughts, plans or attempts in the past year.
Four findings:
1. About 1 in 8 young adults reported suicidal thoughts and behaviors, but fewer than half of those who did received any mental healthcare.
2. Among young adults with suicidal thoughts and behaviors, treatment rates were 21.5 percentage points lower for Asian youth, 19.9 points lower for Black youth and 14.4 points lower for Latine youth than for white youth, who had a 49.3% treatment rate.
3. Multiracial youth were less likely to use psychotropic medication, at a rate 16.7 percentage points below their white peers.
4. The authors said the gaps point to structural barriers, rather than differences in clinical need or patient preference. They recommended preserving insurance continuity during the transition from pediatric to adult care, expanding screening in nontraditional settings, using warm handoffs between providers and integrating mental health services into primary care and community settings.
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