Children with serious emotional disturbance: the impact of poverty and receipt of public assistance on behavior, functioning, and service use

Abstract

The present study examines the associations between poverty status, receipt of public assistance, service use, and children's mental health. Using a sample of children with serious emotional disturbances, findings from logistic regressions indicated that although no significant associations were found between poverty status and emotional or behavioral problems, families living below the poverty threshold were more likely to receive fewer services, even after controlling for receipt of Medicaid or SSI. Significant associations were also found for child's age, race/ethnicity, caregiver education, Medicaid and TANF receipt, child and family mental-health-risk factors. Poor families were more likely to have older children, be non-white, have fewer years of education, receive public assistance, and have more family mental-health-risk factors, but less child mental-health-risk factors. While a higher percentage of nonpoor families received medication management and residential treatment services, more poor families received support services such as transportation and flexible funds. Implications for the findings are discussed.