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Primary Care Providers as Mental Health Counselors: Views from Urban, Minority Adolescents
- Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved
- Johns Hopkins University Press
- Volume 27, Number 3, August 2016
- pp. 1053-1063
- 10.1353/hpu.2016.0129
- Article
- Additional Information
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Objective. To examine urban, minority adolescents’ preferences for receiving guidance for mental health (MH) issues from primary care providers (PCPs) or from mental health providers (MHPs).
Methods. Adolescents (13–21 years) from three community clinics and one school-based health center (SBHC) in the Bronx, N.Y. completed anonymous surveys. Characteristics of adolescents who preferred the PCP vs. MHP and adolescents’ attitudes about the PCP vs. the MHP were compared.
Results. Adolescents (N=135), mean age 16 years, majority Hispanic participated. Although 85% strongly agreed or agreed that their PCP was knowledgeable about MH, 57% preferred to talk to a MHP. Those who preferred the MHP were younger, attend a SBHC, and trust information on MH from a MHP. Those who preferred the PCP were more likely to report feeling comfortable talking to their PCP about MH.
Conclusions. Although the majority preferred a MHP, PCPs appeared to be an acceptable alternative for MH care.
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