Where are US outpatient mental health facilities that serve children with autism spectrum disorder? A national snapshot of geographic disparities.
Jonathan Cantor, Ryan K McBain, Aaron Kofner and 2 others
PMID 34120484WHAT IT FOUND
Half of US outpatient mental health facilities serve children with autism.
Telehealth and Medicaid acceptance predict service availability, while public facilities lag behind. Geographic disparities remain significant, with rural and high-poverty areas having fewer accessible options.
Key findings
01Approximately half of the contacted outpatient mental health facilities reported providing care for children with autism spectrum disorder.
02Facilities that accepted Medicaid or offered telehealth were significantly more likely to provide mental health care for children with autism compared to those that did not.
03Publicly owned facilities were less likely to provide these services compared to private for-profit and non-profit facilities.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
The study only looked at outpatient mental health facilities, so it does not capture availability in schools, pediatricians' offices, or inpatient settings. It is unknown if the facilities that did not respond (16.3%) were different from those that did. The survey asked if facilities provide care, but not if they have open slots or waitlists, so actual access may be lower than reported. The study did not evaluate the quality of care provided. Data was collected in 2019, before the widespread shift to telehealth during the pandemic.
Declared interests
The study was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that because a facility reports providing care for children with autism, they have available appointments. The study reports facility capability, not capacity or wait times.