TY - JOUR PY - 2002// TI - Demographic Influences on Psychiatric Diagnoses Among Youth Served in California Systems of Care JO - Journal of child and family studies A1 - Mak, Winnie A1 - Rosenblatt, Abram SP - 165 EP - 178 VL - 11 IS - 2 N2 - We examined the influences of demographic factors on diagnostic assignment among youth served in California public mental health systems after adjusting for the effects of county characteristics and standardized symptom and functioning indices. The sample consisted of 12,106 youth with severe emotional disturbance being served in integrated and coordinated service systems in 13 counties of California. African Americans were overrepresented in the sample relative to the ethnic characteristics of the counties and Asian Americans were under-represented. Results from logistic regression analyses showed that gender, age, and ethnicity affected the assignment of eight categories of clinical diagnosis at admission. However, standardized measurement of clinical status and functioning had little relationship to clinicians' assignment of diagnosis. Whereas no significant gender and age differences were found on broadband CBCL syndromes, ethnically diverse youth differed on CBCL internalizing and externalizing scores. Youth's role functioning as assessed by the CAFAS also significantly differed by gender, age, and ethnicity.

LA - SN - 1062-1024 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1015173508474 ID - ref1 ER -