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Patterns Of Treatment For Psychiatric Disorders Among Children And Adolesecents In Mississippi Medicaid, John Young, Sujith Ramachandran, Andrew J. Freeman, John P. Bentley, Benjamin F. Banahan

Psychology Faculty Research

The nature of services for psychiatric disorders in public health systems has been understudied, particularly with regard to frequency, duration, and costs. The current study examines patterns of service reception and costs among Medicaid-covered youth newly diagnosed with anxiety, depression, or behavioral disturbance in a large data set of provider billing claims submitted between 2015–2016. Eligibility criteria included: 1) identification of an initial diagnosis of a single anxiety, unipolar mood, or specific behavioral disorder; 2) continuous Medicaid eligibility over the duration of the time period studied; and 3) under 18 years of age on the date of initial psychiatric diagnosis. …