Differences in Treatment Approaches by Residential Treatment Facilities

ABSTRACT The accessibility and use of evidence-based mental health treatment are crucial to children and adolescents with mental health and behavioral health disorders. However, there is little known regarding treatment approaches in residential treatment facilities serving children and adolescents. As mental health disorders affect children and adolescents of all sociodemographic backgrounds, it is important to examine and identify differences in treatment approaches. This study’s primary objective was to describe the differences in treatment approaches offered by facilities varying in region, ownership (i.e., private nonprofit vs private for-profit/public), Medicaid status, and client factors (i.e., age, gender, race, ethnicity). Data from the 2018 National Mental Health Services Survey (N-MHSS) was analyzed using Cohen’s h to examine the differences in treatment approaches by sociodemographic characteristics in 576 residential treatment facilities. The largest differences in treatment approaches varied by the race/ethnicity and the gender of the client population composition. Particularly, psychotropic medication, seclusion, and restraint were more prevalent when the client composition was majority males, African American or Black, or Native American or Alaska Native. Implications for research and practice related to the intersection of sociodemographic and treatment approaches for research and practice are discussed.