Mental Health Parity Legislation: Implications for Children and Youth With Serious Emotional Disturbance

Abstract

Ensuring access to appropriate treatment for children and adolescents with mental health needs is a major policy concern. Recent legislation in the form of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA) offers hope for mental health care to a large number of families; however, the lack of a federal definition of mental illness and state differences in coverage, often excluding children's diagnoses, are major limitations in coverage that perhaps might not meet the needs of youth with serious emotional disturbances. Implications of this parity legislation for children and youth are discussed with a particular focus on children and youth with Severe Emotional Disturbance.

Keywords:

• Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act
• parity
• mental health
• children
• youth
• Severe Emotional Disturbance