Comparing Treatments Among Youth: Exploring Potential Implications for Mental Health Stigma
Publication Date
July 2026
Document Type
Abstract
Start Date
24-7-2026 9:00 AM
End Date
24-7-2026 3:00 PM
Description
BACKGROUND: Mental health stigma—negative perceptions of mental illness—can discourage or delay treatment seeking. Some diagnoses may be more stigmatized than others. Understanding how stigma may influence service use is important for improving engagement in evidence-based practices (EBPs). Functional Family Therapy (FFT) is a family-based EBP that ameliorates youth behavioral concerns by communication whereas Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) helps families manage traumarelated thoughts, emotions, and symptoms. Although both approaches focus on families, they are used with different diagnoses. (FFT with ADHD and TF-CBT with PTSD) OBJECTIVES: This study aims to determine if the average number of claims differs between FFT and TF-CBT for Louisiana Medicaid youth aged 6–18 by analyzing the association between FFT and TF-CBT average claim counts while accounting for age and gender. METHOD: The study is a retrospective, cross-sectional examination of de-identified 2024 Medicaid claims data (N=8007). Inclusion criteria included only FFT and TF-CBT claims, aged 6-18, ADHD and PTSD diagnoses, resulting in a final study sample size of 1904. Data was analyzed utilizing Microsoft Excel and SAS version 9.4 using two-sample t-test, multivariable logistic, and linear regression to determine possible associations. RESULTS: Among 8,007 claims, 7,748 (96.8%) were FFT and 259 (3.2%) were TF-CBT. After adjusting for age group and gender, FFT was associated with an average of 1.14 more claims per recipient than TF-CBT (β=1.145, SE=0.080, p<.0001). Youth aged 11–15 had significantly more claims per recipient than youth aged 6–10 (β=0.276, p=.026), whereas the number of claims did not differ significantly for youth aged 16–18 compared with those aged 6–10 (p=.690) or by gender (p=.594). Across demographic groups, average claims per recipient were consistently higher for FFT than TF-CBT. CONCLUSION: The statistical analyses show that there are differences between FFT and TF-CBT treatment claims. According to the literature, stigma could serve as a potential contributor to this difference. To further examine this, surveys aimed at measuring stigma should be administered. Possible confounding variables: lack of resources, ability to attend, and cost could not be controlled for.
Recommended Citation
Alapure, Radhika, "Comparing Treatments Among Youth: Exploring Potential Implications for Mental Health Stigma" (2026). Summer Research Internship Program. 1.
https://digitalscholar.lsuhsc.edu/srip/2026/hs/1
Comparing Treatments Among Youth: Exploring Potential Implications for Mental Health Stigma
BACKGROUND: Mental health stigma—negative perceptions of mental illness—can discourage or delay treatment seeking. Some diagnoses may be more stigmatized than others. Understanding how stigma may influence service use is important for improving engagement in evidence-based practices (EBPs). Functional Family Therapy (FFT) is a family-based EBP that ameliorates youth behavioral concerns by communication whereas Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) helps families manage traumarelated thoughts, emotions, and symptoms. Although both approaches focus on families, they are used with different diagnoses. (FFT with ADHD and TF-CBT with PTSD) OBJECTIVES: This study aims to determine if the average number of claims differs between FFT and TF-CBT for Louisiana Medicaid youth aged 6–18 by analyzing the association between FFT and TF-CBT average claim counts while accounting for age and gender. METHOD: The study is a retrospective, cross-sectional examination of de-identified 2024 Medicaid claims data (N=8007). Inclusion criteria included only FFT and TF-CBT claims, aged 6-18, ADHD and PTSD diagnoses, resulting in a final study sample size of 1904. Data was analyzed utilizing Microsoft Excel and SAS version 9.4 using two-sample t-test, multivariable logistic, and linear regression to determine possible associations. RESULTS: Among 8,007 claims, 7,748 (96.8%) were FFT and 259 (3.2%) were TF-CBT. After adjusting for age group and gender, FFT was associated with an average of 1.14 more claims per recipient than TF-CBT (β=1.145, SE=0.080, p<.0001). Youth aged 11–15 had significantly more claims per recipient than youth aged 6–10 (β=0.276, p=.026), whereas the number of claims did not differ significantly for youth aged 16–18 compared with those aged 6–10 (p=.690) or by gender (p=.594). Across demographic groups, average claims per recipient were consistently higher for FFT than TF-CBT. CONCLUSION: The statistical analyses show that there are differences between FFT and TF-CBT treatment claims. According to the literature, stigma could serve as a potential contributor to this difference. To further examine this, surveys aimed at measuring stigma should be administered. Possible confounding variables: lack of resources, ability to attend, and cost could not be controlled for.
Comments
Mentor: Dr. Stephen Phillippi, Community Health Science & Policy