Effect of Proposition 187 on mental health service use in California: a case study

Abstract

In this DataWatch we examine whether the passage of California's Proposition 187 affected the use of mental health services in San Francisco County. Using time-series analyses, we identified a 26 percent decrease in the initiation of outpatient mental health services by younger Hispanics at selected service sites after the passage of Proposition 187 in November 1994. Further analyses suggest that decreased use of outpatient mental health services by young Hispanics was associated with their subsequent increased use of crisis services. Other studies of Proposition 187's effect on mental health service use in California are needed to corroborate the findings of this case study.