New research reveals that although teens in the United States have more access to mental health care than they did two years ago, this availability is not equal in all communities.

Researchers at the University of Michigan National Voices Project launched a five-year study that gauged opportunities for children and teens at the local level in communities across the country, Medical Xpress reported.

"Access to mental health care for teens remains a problem," Matthew M. Davis, director of the National Voices Project and professor of pediatrics, said in a statement.

For the study, researchers surveyed more than 2,000 adults across the country who work and/or volunteer on behalf of children and teens. Forty percent of adults said teens in their communities had lots of access to mental health care.

They also learned that adults' perceptions of healthcare availability were much different in communities where respondents perceived some or many racial/ethnic inequities. In these communities, just 35 percent of adults saw lots of availability for teens to get mental health care in 2014, up from 24 percent in 2012.

"The good news is that adults are seeing improvements in access for teens in their communities in comparison with 2012. However, the bad news is that they are still seeing significant disparities in healthcare access for teens in communities where they perceive racial and ethnic inequities," Davis said. "Furthermore, mental health services are perceived as much less available than primary health care services for teens."

This is problematic given how common mental health concerns are among adolescents, "improving access to behavioral services is as important as enhancing access to primary care," Davis explained.

The full report can be found here.