Abstract
A cross-sectional qualitative descriptive design was used to examine the links among expectations about, experiences with,
and intentions toward mental health services. Individual face-to-face interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of
32 African American youth/mothers dyads. Content analysis revealed that positive expectations were linked to positive experiences
and intentions, that negative expectations were not consistently linked to negative experiences or intentions, nor were ambivalent
expectations linked to ambivalent experiences or intentions. Youth were concerned about privacy breeches and mothers about
the harmfulness of psychotropic medication. Addressing these concerns may promote African Americans’ engagement in mental
health services.
and intentions toward mental health services. Individual face-to-face interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of
32 African American youth/mothers dyads. Content analysis revealed that positive expectations were linked to positive experiences
and intentions, that negative expectations were not consistently linked to negative experiences or intentions, nor were ambivalent
expectations linked to ambivalent experiences or intentions. Youth were concerned about privacy breeches and mothers about
the harmfulness of psychotropic medication. Addressing these concerns may promote African Americans’ engagement in mental
health services.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Category Original Paper
- Pages 1-13
- DOI 10.1007/s10488-012-0429-5
- Authors
- Richard Thompson, Juvenile Protective Association, 1707 N Halsted, Chicago, IL 60614, USA
- Barbara L. Dancy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Tisha R. A. Wiley, Juvenile Protective Association, 1707 N Halsted, Chicago, IL 60614, USA
- Cynthia J. Najdowski, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Sylvia P. Perry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Jason Wallis, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Yara Mekawi, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
- Kathleen A. Knafl, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Journal Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research
- Online ISSN 1573-3289
- Print ISSN 0894-587X
