Do Social Networks Push Families Toward or Away From Youth Mental Health Services?: A National Study of Families in Child Welfare

Abstract

Social support networks may encourage or dissuade help-seeking for youth behavior problems in ways that contribute to racial/ethnic disparities in mental health services. The authors examined how parental social network characteristics were related to the use of mental health services in a diverse sample of families in contact with Child Welfare. Data from 1,519 families of White ( n = 812), African American ( n = 418), and Latino ( n = 289) origin were drawn from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being. Data were collected prospectively after the initiation of a Child Welfare investigation for alleged maltreatment. Results revealed that parental perceptions of support were negatively associated with service use across racial/ethnic groups, and this association was explained by better subsequent mental health status enjoyed by children of parents with stronger social support. Moderator analyses suggested that larger social networks were associated with a decreased use of services among Whites and more highly educated families.