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Gender differences in patterns of risk factors among children receiving mental health services: Latent class analyses

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Abstract

Latent class analyses were used to analyze data from a sample of children participating in the national evaluation of the Comprehensive Communities Mental Health Services for Children and Their Families Program (N = 6786). Lifetime risk experiences of the child were analyzed to identify 4 classes of boys and girls with similar risk patterns. While low-risk, status-offense, abuse, and high-risk classes were identified for both boys and girls, there were nearly half the number of girls in the low-risk class, almost as many in the status-offense class, twice as many in the abuse class, and more than 3 three times as many in the high-risk class as there were boys. These findings suggest that there are specific groups of children entering services who differ as a function of their lifetime risk exposure. In addition, the relationship between class membership and child functioning, and class membership and family lifetime risk experiences. Understanding these differences provides critical information to the service planning process. In addition, it may result in immediate improvement in the triage of children into services and a better understanding of their behaviors during and after treatment.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. ORC Macro, 116 John St, Suite 800, 10038, New York, NY

    Christine Walrath PhD (Technical Director)

  2. John Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Md

    Hanno Petras PhD (Assistant Scientist) & Philip J. Leaf PhD (Professor)

  3. University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pa

    David S. Mandell ScD (Assistant Professor)

  4. ORC Macro, Atlanta, Ga

    Robert L. Stephens PhD (Technical Director) & E. Wayne Holden PhD (President)

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  1. Christine Walrath PhD
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  2. Hanno Petras PhD
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  3. David S. Mandell ScD
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  4. Robert L. Stephens PhD
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  5. E. Wayne Holden PhD
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  6. Philip J. Leaf PhD
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Correspondence to Christine Walrath PhD.

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Walrath, C., Petras, H., Mandell, D.S. et al. Gender differences in patterns of risk factors among children receiving mental health services: Latent class analyses. The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research 31, 297–311 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02287292

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