Depression and Service Use Among Caregivers Dually Involved in the Child Welfare and Mental Health Systems

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of depression, use of mental health services, and correlates of service use among caregivers who are dually involved in the child welfare and child mental health systems. This study analyzed baseline data from 129 caregivers who reported child welfare system involvement and were participating in a Multiple Family Group service delivery model to reduce childhood disruptive behavior disorders. Seventy-eight (60.5%) of caregivers met or exceed the clinical cut-off for depression; of them 50 (64.1%) reported utilizing mental health services for their emotional health. Race, employment status, and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale score were significantly associated with lifetime mental heath services use. Depression rates exceeded those found among caregivers involved in either the child welfare or child mental health systems. Rates of service use were higher than found in existing research. As expected, racial differences and depression were associated with service use; contrary to expectations, full-time employment was not associated with service use. Discrepancies between this study and existing research are discussed, as are practice, policy, and research implications.