ADHD: Insurance and Mental Health Service Use.

ABSTRACT

We describe mental health service use by insurance among children aged 4 to 17 with diagnosed attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Using parent reports from 2010-2013 National Health Interview Survey, we estimate the percentage that received services for emotional and behavioral difficulties (EBD) medication, other nonmedication services, and none (neither medication nor other nonmedication services). Among children with diagnosed ADHD, 56.0% had used medication for EBD, 39.8% had contact with a mental health professional, 32.2% had contact with a general doctor about the child's EBD, and 20.4% received special education services for EBD. Medication use was more often reported for privately or publicly insured children than uninsured children ( P < .001), and uninsured children more often received no services ( P < .001). Publicly insured children were more likely than privately insured children to receive other nonmedication services ( P < .001). Less than a third (28.9%) of all children received no services as compared to almost half (48.8%) of uninsured children.