Unmet Needs for Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Among Northern Plains American Indian Adolescents

Use of mental health and substance abuse services was examined among 109 American Indian adolescents in a Northern Plains reservation community. Each was interviewed to assess psychiatric diagnosis and service use and to determine whether an adult had recognized a problem in the adolescent—a critical determinant of receipt of services. Of the 23 youths who had a disorder, nine (39 percent) reported lifetime service use. Of the 25 who received services, 17 were treated by a school counselor; only one received services from a mental health specialist. Eight of the 25 youths with a psychiatric or substance use diagnosis who did not receive services reported that an adult had recognized a problem.