A scoping review of social network analyses in interorganizational collaboration studies for child mental health

Abstract

Purpose: Twenty percent of children in the U.S. experience mental illness; yet, only 30% receive treatment. These disparities are exacerbated by barriers to access and resources. Interorganizational collaboration of community-based organizations (CBOs) can help minimize these barriers, but challenges to accessing treatment remain persistent. Social network analysis (SNA) offers a systems-level approach to address issues related to existing service fragmentation and service silos in CBOs. However, SNA is not fully realized in interorganizational research with CBO systems involved in child MH services.Methods: A scoping review was conducted on a subset of empirical studies (n = 28) utilizing SNA to assess interorganizational collaboration among CBOs involved in child MH. Guided by the PRISMA, the study aimed to (a) describe the state of the existing literature and (b) identify outcomes affiliated with using SNA in these contexts.Results: Whole network studies were synthesized based on primary interorganizational network outcomes, highlighting the advantages of using SNA to map interactions in collaboration, drive decisions for resource distribution and funding allocation, and explain the underlying processes in access to resources and power.Conclusions: There is a need to better support CBOs and a need to identify strategies that can inform ongoing efforts implementing child mental health practices. SNA is a promising approach that provides practical insights into how CBOs can leverage networks to support collaborative efforts to improve child MH access and outcomes.