1-039 - Addressing Mental Health Needs in Vulnerable Youth

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

Nearly half of youth in the United States experience a psychiatric disorder (Merikangas et al., 2010), and the same proportion have been exposed to trauma (Bethell et al., 2017). These youth are at increased risk for a range of associated problems, including suicide (Fleischmann et al., 2005). Although there effective treatments available, only one-third of youth with psychiatric disorders receive services (Merikangas et al., 2011). Understanding which youth are at greatest risk for the most severe outcomes associated with psychiatric disorders and pathways into treatment are critical to effective prevention and intervention. The interdisciplinary studies in this symposium address risk, protective factors, and potential for treatment in particularly vulnerable populations of youth. There is a particular focus on developmental patterns in diverse samples, as studies consider longitudinal and cross-sectional data spanning from early childhood into young adulthood that represent multiple racial/ethnic groups and socioeconomic strata. Study one examines prospective data from a racially diverse sample of youth across seven years, identifying demographic and clinical characteristics that predict suicidal behaviors. Study two explores developmental patterns of mental health service utilization in Latino youth, who represent a growing US sub-population with high rates of unmet mental health need (Alegria et al., 2002). Study three reports on the efficacy of an evidence-based treatment in PreK-12 schools, which represent frequent providers of mental health services (Costello et al., 2014). The final study represents a rich, qualitative inquiry into the use of cognitive behavioral therapy with unaccompanied refugee minors with post-traumatic symptoms.

Sub Unit

• Developmental Psychopathology

Chairs

• Rachel Oblath, Boston University

• Jennifer Greif Green, Boston University

Individual Presentations

• Risk and Protective Factors Associated With Suicidal Ideation and Attempts in a Longitudinal Study of Adolescents - Presenting Author: Kiara Alvarez, Massachusetts General Hospital; Non-Presenting Author: Mirko Fillbrunn, Harvard Medical School; Non-Presenting Author: Mario A Cruz-Gonzalez, Massachusetts General Hospital; Non-Presenting Author: Margarita Alegria, Massachusetts General Hospital; Non-Presenting Author: Robert E Roberts, University of Texas

• Patterns of Mental Health Service Utilization in Latino Populations From Childhood Through Emerging Adulthood - Presenting Author: Rachel Oblath, Boston University; Non-Presenting Author: Jennifer Greif Green, Boston University; Non-Presenting Author: Ye Wang, Massachusetts General Hospital; Non-Presenting Author: Kiara Alvarez, Massachusetts General Hospital; Non-Presenting Author: Glorisa Canino, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Ciencias Medicas; Non-Presenting Author: Cristiane Duarte, Columbia University Medical Center/New York State Psychiatric Institute; Non-Presenting Author: Margarita Alegria, Massachusetts General Hospital

• Investigating Effectiveness of Evidence-Based Mental Health Services in Metropolitan School Settings - Presenting Author: Jessica B. Koslouski, Boston University; Non-Presenting Author: Kara Sabalauskas, The Home for Little Wanderers; Non-Presenting Author: Shelly Dorman, The Home for Little Wanderers

• PTSD Cognitions for Unaccompanied Latino Minors in a Culturally-Adapted Manualized CBT - Presenting Author: Michelle V. Porche, Boston University; Non-Presenting Author: Lisa Fortuna, Boston Medical Center