Gender differences in factors associated with perceived need and use of Korean adolescents mental health services.

Abstract

This study investigated the socio-demographic characteristics and emotional and

behavioral factors associated with the perceived need and actual use of

adolescent mental health services according to genders in Korea. We assessed

1,857 middle school students aged 14-16 years. We administered a self-reported

questionnaire including questions on their socio-demographic data, Korean Youth

Self Report, and self perceived need and actual use of mental health services.

Overall, 11.6 % of the adolescents demonstrated a self perceived need for mental

health services regarding their emotional or behavioral problems, while 2.1 % had

sought mental health services. There were discrepancies between the perceived

need and actual use. Most adolescents (81.6 %) used mental health services

without self-perceived need, and only 3.3 % of adolescents with self-perceived

need utilized mental health services. The perceived need of mental health

services is positively influenced by the adolescent's anxious/depressed problems

in both genders. The use of them is negatively influenced by the withdrawn

problem in adolescent boys, while positively influenced by the aggressive

behavior in adolescent girls. To increase the actual use of mental health

services more attention needs to be focused on their internalizing problems, such

as anxious/depressed and withdrawn problems, in addition to externalizing

problems in both genders.