Abstract
The purpose of this study was to elucidate factors which contribute to adolescents' compliance with mental health referrals. Fifty-seven Black and Hispanic inner-city youth ages 11-20 (mean=16.1), attending a comprehensive adolescent health clinic, were referred by 5 primary care physicians for counseling services. At the time of referral, both the physician and patient completed questionnaires: the patient's questionnaire included the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI). Initial counseling appointments were kept (compliance) by 43.1% (24) of the patients. Females were significantly more compliant (21 of 42) than males (3 of 15) (X2-4.08; p<.05). While all but two patients saw themselves as having problems, those who viewed their difficulties as more serious (“big problems”) were less likely to keep appointments (6 of 21) than those who described themselves as having “small problems” (18 of 33) (X2-3.5; p<.10). Compliance was not affected by whether the patient saw the referral as his decision or one made jointly. The degree of the family's involvement and attitude towards counseling did not affect compliance. The degree of depression as determined by the CDI was not significantly different between compilers and noncompliers. We conclude that, while identification of patients likely to comply with mental health referrals is not possible, physicians should be on the alert for those patients who feel overwhelmed by their problems. In most naed of help, these may be the very patients who do not avail themselves of mental health services.
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Jaffe, L., Wortman, R., Diaz, A. et al. ADOLESCENTS COMPLIANCE WITH MENTAL HEALTH REFFERALS. Pediatr Res 21 (Suppl 4), 175 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198704010-00056
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198704010-00056