A new paper titled “Mental Health Service Use Among Children with Chronic Physical Illness”, published in the Journal of the Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, shares important findings from researchers in the ARCH Lab and colleagues at the University of Waterloo. The study draws on data from the ongoing MY LIFE Study, a longitudinal study following children with chronic physical illnesses to better understand their health and wellbeing.
This research followed 263 children aged 2 to 16 years over a two‑year period to examine how often they used mental health services, what types of services they accessed, and which factors influenced their use. Overall, about one in four parents reported that their child had seen or spoken to a mental health professional during the study. The most commonly accessed providers were social workers, counsellors, case workers, and psychotherapists, highlighting the diverse set of professionals families rely on for support. Hospitalizations for mental health reasons were uncommon but did occur, typically involving short stays.
Using statistical modeling, the study identified two distinct groups of children: those who used mental health services and those who did not. Children were more likely to use services if they were older, had a co‑occurring mental health condition, experienced higher levels of disability, or had parents with higher educational attainment. Interestingly, income and neighbourhood-level marginalization did not predict service use.
These findings underscore the importance of integrated physical and mental health care, as many children with chronic physical illnesses experience emotional challenges that require timely, coordinated support. The study also emphasizes the need for early identification and monitoring, since some children without a formal diagnosis still sought mental health services.
