ERIC Number: EJ1323985
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022-Jan
Pages: 9
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1362-3613
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Where Are US Outpatient Mental Health Facilities That Serve Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder? A National Snapshot of Geographic Disparities
Cantor, Jonathan; McBain, Ryan K.; Kofner, Aaron; Stein, Bradley D.; Yu, Hao
Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice, v26 n1 p169-177 Jan 2022
Despite a rise in the observed prevalence of autism spectrum disorder among children, few estimates exist of the share of US outpatient mental health treatment facilities that provide services for children with autism spectrum disorder. We identified key facility- and county-level characteristics in offering mental health care for children with autism spectrum disorder. This study utilized a secret shopper telephone survey to contact almost all outpatient mental health treatment facilities in the contiguous United States. We estimated multivariable regressions to examine county- and facility-level predictors of offering services for children with autism spectrum disorder. We found that 50.3% of 6156 outpatient facilities reported offering care for children with autism spectrum disorder. Non-metro counties, counties with a lower percentage of non-White residents, counties with a higher percentage of uninsured residents, and counties with a higher poverty rate had fewer outpatient mental health treatment facilities providing care for children with autism spectrum disorder. Facilities accepting Medicaid as a form of payment, offering telehealth, and private for-profit facilities were more likely to provide services for children with autism spectrum disorder. Only half of outpatient mental health treatment facilities offered care for children with autism spectrum disorder, and both rural and lower socioeconomic status counties were less likely to have a facility offering care for children with autism spectrum disorder.
Descriptors: Autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorders, Children, Mental Health, Health Services, Clinics, Counties, Predictor Variables, Institutional Characteristics, Racial Differences, Ethnicity, Health Insurance, Poverty, Telecommunications, Rural Urban Differences, Socioeconomic Status, Intervention, Geographic Location, Metropolitan Areas
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) (DHHS/NIH)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: R01MH112760
Author Affiliations: N/A