RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Providers, Places, and Children’s Mental Health Care
JF Journal of Human Resources
JO J Hum Resour
FD University of Wisconsin Press
SP jhr.0925-14511R1
DO 10.3368/jhr.0925-14511R1
A1 Swagel, Gabriel
YR 2026
UL http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/early/2026/08/03/jhr.0925-14511R1.abstract
AB Children’s mental health is the defining public health crisis of our time. Using the largest repository of private insurance claims in the United States, I provide the first systematic quantification of the variation in children’s mental health prescribing in the U.S. I separate variation due to 1) primary care provider (PCP) prescribing intensities, 2) regional practice environments, and 3) child health and demand. Equalizing PCP intensities would reduce the variance of provider prescribing rates by 50 percent for ADHD and 65 percent for antidepressants. Analyzing geographic variation alone significantly understates the extent of treatment variation and the role of providers.