Factors related to adolescents' seeking help from social workers in mental health settings

This secondary data analysis of 1288 adolescents investigated how their use of social work services for mental health was affected by (a) the disorder involved, (b) their personal beliefs, (c) their families' finances, (d) their proximity to services, (e) social-structural factors, and (f) their demographic characteristics. Multinomial logistic regression of the data showed that adolescents were likely to seek help from social workers for an anxiety, mood, or attention-deficit/disruptive behavior disorder or when they were involved with the justice system or perceived a personal need for professional help. The findings also show that adolescents were likely to turn to other professionals for (a) an attention-deficit/disruptive behavior disorder or when (b) they perceived no stigma in mental health services, (c) they were white, older, and/or male, or (d) the family was small, with well-educated parents. Implications for the social work profession are discussed.