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"Our study found, for the first time, that the involvement of a health professional in care coordination may play an important role in improving access to mental health care for this vulnerable group of children with disabilities," said Witt, who led the study.

"Ensuring that health professionals and families are engaged in the management of the child's care could make a significant difference in gaining access to specialized mental health services," Witt said.

The study analyzed information from the National Health Interview Survey, an annual survey of households across the country conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). Because the 1994 and 1995 surveys contained special sections addressing disability among household members, particularly children, information from both years was used for this study.

The researchers gathered information on more than 4,900 children aged 6 to 17 who, according to NCHS criteria, were identified as having a disability. About 11 percent of the disabled children were described as having psychosocial problems, such as anxiety or depression, hostility or poor interaction with their peers.

Witt's co-authors on the study were Judith D. Kasper and Anne Riley, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore.

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Contact: Elizabeth Crown
e-crown@northwestern.edu
312-503-8928
Northwestern University
3-Feb-2004