The Role of County Characteristics in Mental Health Service Use by Older African Americans

Objective:Older African Americans may underutilize mental health services, although they experience mental health problems at rates comparable with those of whites. Untreated mental disorders contribute to increased risk of morbidity and mortality and decreased quality of life, and therefore, understanding the factors that influence racial disparities in service use is critical. This study examined whether county characteristics were associated with mental health service use by older African Americans after the analyses adjusted for individual characteristics.Methods:This study combined individual-level data from the 2008–2012 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey with county-level data for 2008–2012 from the 2013–2014 Area Health Resources Files and county-level data from the 2008–2012 Chronic Conditions Report of the Chronic Conditions Data Warehouse for 1,567 community-dwelling African Americans ages 60 and older. Multilevel logistic regressions were used to examine the role of county characteristics on mental health services use with adjustment for individual-level risk factors.Results:At the county level, individuals living in a county with a higher proportion of African Americans were less likely to use mental health services. At the individual level, higher income and mental health status were associated with mental health service utilization.Conclusions:Among older African Americans, the racial composition of one’s county of residence played a role in mental health service use, indicating the need for future research focusing on the relationship between an area’s racial composition and mental health service use. Programs may be able to ameliorate racial disparities in mental health care by targeting areas with a higher percentage of African Americans.