Treatment FAQ

percent of children and adolescents have mental disorders and of those who need treatment, only

by Dr. Vladimir Mayer III Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Nearly 7.7 million children and teens in the country – about one in seven – have at least one treatable mental health disorder, including depression, anxiety or ADHD, new research finds.

Full Answer

What percentage of children with mental health disorders are not treated?

Nationally, 49.4 percent of children with a mental health disorder did not receive necessary treatment or counseling from a mental health professional. Prevalence rates varied significantly throughout the country, ranging from 29.5 percent of children in Washington, D.C., to 72.2 percent of children in North Carolina.

How many adolescents have had a mental health disorder?

Many adolescents experience positive mental health, but an estimated 49.5 percent of adolescents has had a mental health disorder at some point in their lives. 1 The good news is that promoting positive mental health can prevent some problems.

What factors determine the mental health of an adolescent at any time?

Multiple factors determine the mental health of an adolescent at any one time. The more risk factors adolescents are exposed to, the greater the potential impact on their mental health. Factors which can contribute to stress during adolescence include a desire for greater autonomy, pressure to conform with peers,...

What is the prevalence of behavioral health problems in adolescents?

Several factors associated with having behavioral health problems and receiving treatment are presented. Approximately 22% of adolescents in the United States are estimated to have a mental health (MH) disorder ( Merikangas et al. 2010 ).

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What percentage of children who have mental health disorders receive treatment?

Summary. In 2019, 13.6% of U.S. children between the ages of 5 and 17 years had received mental health treatment in the past 12 months. In total, 10.0% of children had received counseling or therapy from a mental health professional, and 8.4% had taken prescription medication for their mental health.

What percentage of adolescents have a mental health issue?

Prevalence of Any Mental Disorder Among Adolescents An estimated 49.5% of adolescents had any mental disorder. Of adolescents with any mental disorder, an estimated 22.2% had severe impairment. DSM-IV based criteria were used to determine impairment level.

What percentage of youths go without mental health treatment?

The percentage of adults with a mental illness who report unmet need for treatment has increased every year since 2011. In 2019, 24.7% of adults with a mental illness report an unmet need for treatment. Over 60% of youth with major depression do not receive any mental health treatment.

What percentage of mental health concerns begin in childhood and adolescence?

70% of mental health problems have their onset during childhood or adolescence.

What percentage of children and adolescents meet the criteria for at least one mental disorder by the time they reach 18 years of age?

Approximately one in three teens meet the criteria outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders (DSM-5) by the time they reach age eighteen. There are several types of anxiety disorders, but phobias and separation disorders are those seen most often.

What percentage of students have mental health issues?

A 2016 study reported that 39 percent of students were struggling with at least one mental illness.

What percentage of teens have mental health issues 2021?

According to the 2021 survey data, 13.84% of teens have had at least one major depressive episode in 2021, which is an increase of 260,000 cases from the previous year. This same survey found that 9.7% of teens have a severe major depressive disorder, which is an increase of 126,000 from the previous year.

What percentage of children between the ages of 3 17 are dealing with mental health problems?

Anxiety and depression affect many children1 9.4% of children aged 3-17 years (approximately 5.8 million) had diagnosed anxiety in 2016-2019. 4.4% of children aged 3-17 years (approximately 2.7 million) have diagnosed depression in 2016-2019.

Facts About Mental Disorders in U.S. Children

  • ADHD, anxiety problems, behavior problems, and depression are the most commonly diagnosed mental disorders in children. Estimates for ever having a diagnosis among children aged 3-17 years, in 2016...
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Access to Mental Health Treatment

  • Early diagnosis and appropriate services for children and their families can make a difference in the lives of children with mental disorders.7Access to providers who can offer services, including screening, referrals, and treatment, varies by location. CDC is working to learn more about access to behavioral health services and supports for children and their families. View information by st…
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Data Sources For Mental Health and Related Conditions

  • There are many different datasets which include information on children’s mental health and related conditions for children living in the United States. Healthy People 2030external icon Healthy People 2030 sets data-driven national objectives to improve health and well-being over the next decade, including children’s mental health and well-being. National Survey of Family Gro…
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References

  1. Perou R, Bitsko RH, Blumberg SJ, Pastor P, Ghandour RM, Gfroerer JC, Hedden SL, Crosby AE, Visser SN, Schieve LA, Parks SE, Hall JE, Brody D, Simile CM, Thompson WW, Baio J, Avenevoli S, Kogan MD,...
  2. Bitsko RH, Claussen AH, Lichtstein J, Black LJ, Everett Jones S, Danielson MD, Hoenig JM, Davis Jack SP, Brody DJ, Gyawali S, Maenner MM, Warner M, Holland KM, Perou R, Crosby AE…
  1. Perou R, Bitsko RH, Blumberg SJ, Pastor P, Ghandour RM, Gfroerer JC, Hedden SL, Crosby AE, Visser SN, Schieve LA, Parks SE, Hall JE, Brody D, Simile CM, Thompson WW, Baio J, Avenevoli S, Kogan MD,...
  2. Bitsko RH, Claussen AH, Lichtstein J, Black LJ, Everett Jones S, Danielson MD, Hoenig JM, Davis Jack SP, Brody DJ, Gyawali S, Maenner MM, Warner M, Holland KM, Perou R, Crosby AE, Blumberg SJ, Aven...
  3. Ghandour RM, Sherman LJ, Vladutiu CJ, Ali MM, Lynch SE, Bitsko RH, Blumberg SJ. Prevalence and treatment of depression, anxiety, and conduct problems in U.S. children. The Journal of Pediatrics, 20...
  4. Bitsko RH, Holbrook JR, Ghandour RM, Blumberg SJ, Visser SN, Perou R, Walkup J. Epidemiol…

Introduction

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One in six people are aged 10-19 years. Adolescence is a unique and formative time. Physical, emotional and social changes, including exposure to poverty, abuse, or violence, can make adolescents vulnerable to mental health problems. Protecting adolescents from adversity, promoting socio-emotional learning and p…
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Mental Health Determinants

  • Adolescence is a crucial period for developing social and emotional habits important for mental well-being. These include adopting healthy sleep patterns; exercising regularly; developing coping, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills; and learning to manage emotions. Protective and supportive environments in the family, at school and in the wider community are important. Mult…
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Emotional Disorders

  • Emotional disorders are common among adolescents. Anxiety disorders (which may involve panic or excessive worry) are the most prevalent in this age group and are more common among older than among younger adolescents. It is estimated that 3.6% of 10-14 year-olds and 4.6% of 15-19 year-olds experience an anxiety disorder. Depression is estimated to ...
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Behavioural Disorders

  • Behavioural disorders are more common among younger adolescents than older adolescents. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), characterized by difficulty paying attention, excessive activity and acting without regard to consequences, occurs among 3.1% of 10-14 year-olds and 2.4% of 15-19 year-olds(1). Conduct disorder (involving symptoms of destructive or ch…
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Psychosis

  • Conditions that include symptoms of psychosis most commonly emerge in late adolescence or early adulthood. Symptoms can include hallucinations or delusions. These experiences can impair an adolescent’s ability to participate in daily life and education and often lead to stigma or human rights violations.
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Suicide and Self-Harm

  • Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death in older adolescents (15-19 years)(2). Risk factors for suicide are multifaceted, and include harmful use of alcohol, abuse in childhood, stigma against help-seeking, barriers to accessing care and access to means of suicide. Digital media, like any other media, can play a significant role in either enhancing or weakening suicide prevention effor…
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Risk-Taking Behaviours

  • Many risk-taking behaviours for health, such as substance use or sexual risk-taking, start during adolescence. Risk-taking behaviours can be an unhelpful strategy to cope with emotional difficulties and can severely impact an adolescent’s mental and physical well-being. Worldwide, the prevalence of heavy episodic drinking among adolescents aged 15­-19 years was 13.6% in 20…
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Promotion and Prevention

  • Mental health promotion and prevention interventions aim tostrengthen an individual's capacity to regulate emotions, enhance alternatives to risk-taking behaviours, build resilience for managing difficult situations and adversity, and promote supportive social environments and social networks. These programmes require a multi-level approach with varied delivery platforms –for …
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Who Response

  • WHO works on strategies, programmes and tools to assist governments in responding to the health needs of adolescents. For example, the Helping Adolescents Thrive (HAT) Initiative is a joint WHO-UNICEF effort to strengthen policies and programmes for the mental health of adolescents. More specifically, the efforts made through the Initiative are to promote mental he…
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