The association between ethnicity and care pathway for children with emotional problems in routinely collected child and adolescent mental health services data

Adults from black and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds are less likely to access mental health services through voluntary care pathways and are more likely to access through compulsory ones. The aim of the present research was to explore the association between ethnicity and care pathway through child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), in terms of reason for referral and case closure, in children presenting with emotional problems. A sample of N = 11,592 children from 26 CAMHS was taken from a national routinely collected dataset (56 % female; 7 % aged 0–5 years, 40 % 6–12 years, 53 % 13–18 years, and <1 % 19–25 years). Multinomial logistic regressions showed that BAME children were consistently more likely to be referred to CAMHS through education, social, and other services than primary care, compared to White British children (odds ratio (OR) = 1.52–9.96, p < .001) and they were less likely to end treatment due to child and family non-attendance (OR = 0.59–0.79, p < .05). Similar to adults, children from BAME groups may be more likely to access CAMHS through compulsory than voluntary care pathways.