Use of Health Care for the Treatment of Mental Problems among Racial/Ethnic Subpopulations

Abstract

This article analyzes the degree to which interactions between race/ethnicity and other characteristics of a person and their local area are important in determining the probability of any mental health care use. Separate equations are estimated for "Blacks and Hispanics" and "Whites and other groups." Simulations are then performed where the probabilities of use are estimated for individuals in one racial/ethnic group, using coefficients estimated for another racial/ethnic group. These simulations show that the probability of use for Blacks and Hispanics would be similar to Whites if they were subject to the same behavioral patterns (regression coefficients) as Whites, and vice versa. The results indicate the limitations of simply using dummy variables to represent race/ethnicity and the value of learning more about how the health care system interacts with persons of different racial/ethnic backgrounds. Policies that directly affect the location, characteristics, and behavior of health care providers, as well as the behavior of consumers, may be as relevant to achieving equality of use or access as incremental changes in health coverage.