What is a Mental Health Clinic? How to ask Parents about Help-seeking Contacts Within the Mental Health System

Abstract

We compared parents' endorsement of having contacted a ''mental health clinic or agency'' when seeking help for their child, with parents' recognition of having contacted specific, named mental health agencies in their geographic region. Data were from two studies involving parents of children and adolescents seeking mental health services. Across the two studies, only 28 and 41% of parents reported having contacted ''mental health agency,'' but 100% reported contact when asked about specific agencies by name. Incorporating this simple modification in future studies could provide more accurate documentation of help-seeking for, and utilization of, children's mental health services.