Understanding Parents’ Beliefs about the Etiology of Youth Mental Health Problems: Differences across Race/Ethnicity

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

6-2025

Publisher

Springer

Source Publication

Journal of Child and Family Studies

Source ISSN

1062-1024

Original Item ID

DOI: 10.1007/s10826-025-03097-w

Abstract

Parents’ etiological explanations for youth mental health problems are relatively understudied; most studies focus on adult beliefs about the causes of mental disorders experienced by adults. This is concerning given research demonstrating that parents’ causal beliefs may influence several aspects of youth mental health service utilization including whether parents seek help for their youth and how they engage in treatment. The current study used a novel methodology to examine causal beliefs about youth mental health problems among a diverse group of parents (N = 417; 36.9% non-Hispanic White; 33.3% Black/African American; 29.8% Hispanic/Latino) who completed a series of questionnaires via an online survey. Results indicate that parents recognize the important role of parenting and family functioning in the development of psychological issues among youth while believing a multitude of factors contribute to youth mental health problems. These beliefs were mostly consistent across racial/ethnic groups; however, some noteworthy differences emerged. Overall, findings have meaningful implications for deepening our understanding of the beliefs parents hold regarding the development of youth mental health problems and offer a foundation for additional research to inform the advancement of clinical practice with youth.

Comments

Journal of Child and Family Studies, Vol. 34, No. 6 (June 2025): 1486-1501. DOI.

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS