The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #43847

Eri Kuno, PhD, Psychiatry, Center for Mental Health Policy and Services Research, University of Pennsylvania, 3535 Market Street, Rm #3132, Philadelphia, PA 19104 and Aileen B. Rothbard, ScD, Center for Mental Health Policy and Services Research, University of Pennsylvania, 3535 Market Street, #3014, Philadelphia, PA 19104, 215 349 8707, kuno@cmhpsr.upenn.edu.

This study examined ethnic differences in treatment patterns for schizophrenia across community mental health center (CMHC) catchment areas. Method: Adult Medicaid enrollees who received treatment for schizophrenia through 12 CMHCs during fiscal year of 1996 were study subjects. The subjects were divided into 4 groups based on the per capita income and percentage of African-American (AA) residents of the catchment areas: Higher-income/Lower-AA (HI/LA), Higher-income/Higher-AA (HI/HA), Lower-income/Lower-AA (LI/LA) and Lower-income/Higher-AA (LI/HA). Differences in service use and psychotropic prescriptions were compared between AA and non-AA subjects within each group. 1990 Census data was used to construct catchment area characteristics. Service use, psychotropic prescription and demographic information were gathered from Medicaid data. Results: The significant ethnic difference in the receipt of newer type of antipsychotics were found in HI/LA group (52% of the non-AA versus 36% of the AA), and LI/HA group (41% of the non-AA versus 31% of the AA). AA subjects were more likely to receive partial care (62% versus 47%) and less likely to receive medication management (48% versus 63%) in LI/LA group, while AA subjects were less likely to receive partial care (32% versus 43%), and more likely to receive medication management (60% versus 49%) in LI/HA group. Conclusions: This study revealed that treatment patterns for schizophrenia differ across catchment areas. Differential treatment patterns were also found between AA and non-AA subjects among those who were treated by CMHCs in the similar area characteristics. The findings raised future questions of provider factors that would explain differential treatment patterns.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize the variation in treatment patterns for schizophrenia across catchment areas and between ethnic groups within an area, and identify potential sources of the variation.

Keywords: Mental Health Care, Sever Mental Illness

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.