How local mental health provider networks affect care for disadvantaged adults
Mental Health Care for Disadvantaged Populations: The Role of the Provider Landscape
This project looks at how where mental health providers work and who owns them changes access and quality of care for adults from racial and ethnic minority groups and people with disabilities.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Harvard Medical School NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11257319 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you are an adult from a racial or ethnic minority group or a person with a disability, this project examines whether the local mix of mental health providers makes it easier or harder to get good care. The team combines large insurance claims from Medicaid, Medicare, and commercial plans with new data on provider organizations and ownership. They use natural changes—like clinics closing, ownership changes, people moving, and Medicaid policy shifts—to compare how different groups fare over time. The goal is to pinpoint which kinds of provider landscapes help or harm access and quality for disadvantaged patients.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults (21+) who receive mental health care through Medicaid, Medicare, or commercial insurance—especially people from racial/ethnic minority groups and people with disabilities—are the primary populations whose data this work examines.
Not a fit: People under 21, those without insurance, or individuals whose care is not captured in the claims datasets may not see direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could guide policies or provider changes that improve access and quality of mental health care for disadvantaged adults.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies link provider availability and insurance policy to access, but combining multiple insurer datasets with provider ownership and quasi-experimental changes is a newer and more comprehensive approach.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Harvard Medical School — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Maestas, Nicole a — Harvard Medical School
- Study coordinator: Maestas, Nicole a
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.