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Mental Health in America - Youth Data
Youth Ranking
States with high rankings have lower prevalence of mental illness and higher rates of access to care for youth. Lower rankings indicate that youth have higher prevalence of mental illness and lower rates of access to care.
The 7 measures that make up the Youth Ranking include:
- Youth with At Least One Major Depressive Episode (MDE) in the Past Year
- Youth with Substance Use of Disorder in the Past Year
- Youth with Severe MDE
- Youth with MDE who Did Not Receive Mental Health Services
- Youth with Severe MDE who Received Some Consistent Treatment
- Children with Private Insurance that Did Not Cover Mental or Emotional Problems
- Students Identified with Emotional Disturbance for an Individualized Education Program.
Youth with At Least One Major Depressive Episode (MDE) in the Past Year
12.63% of youth (age 12-17) report suffering from at least one major depressive episode (MDE) in the past year.
Childhood depression is more likely to persist into adulthood if gone untreated.The number of youth experiencing MDE increased by 175,000 from last years' dataset.
The state prevalence of youth with MDE ranges from the District of Columbia at 9.91% to Indiana at 15.93%.
Youth with Severe Major Depressive Episode
8.7% of youth (over 2 million youth) cope with severe major depression. Depression in youth often co-occur with other disorders like substance abuse, anxiety and disorderly behavior.
The number of youth experiencing Severe MDE increased by 100,000 from last year’s dataset.
The state prevalence of youth with Severe MDE ranges from 6.1% in New Jersey to 12.7% in Nevada.
Youth with Substance Use Disorder in the Past Year
4.61% of youth in America reported having a substance use disorder in the past year.
The state prevalence of youth with substance use disorder in the past year ranges from 3.55% in Pennsylvania to 8.33% in Alaska.
Youth with MDE who Did Not Receive Mental Health Services
61.5% of youth with major depression do not receive any mental health treatment.
Youth experiencing MDE continue to go untreated. Among the top ranked states almost 50% of youth are not receiving the mental health services they need.
The state prevalence of untreated youth with depression ranges from 45.8% in Connecticut to 71.3% in Texas.
Youth with Severe MDE who Received Some Consistent Treatment
Nationally, only 25.1% of youth with severe depression receive some consistent treatment (7-25+ visits in a year).
Late recognition in primary care settings and limited coverage of mental health services often prevent youth from receiving timely and effective treatment.
The state prevalence of youth with severe depression who received some outpatient treatment ranges from 39.7% in Minnesota to 12.2% in South Carolina.
High percentages are associated with positive outcomes
and low percentages are associated with poorer outcomes.
Children with Private Insurance that Did Not Cover Mental or Emotional Problems
Despite the enactment of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity law (MHPAE), private insurances have found subtle ways to limit coverage of mental health services. Insurance arbitrarily define what services are “medically necessary” and should receive coverage. A survey conducted by the National Alliance of Mental Illness showed that 29% of respondents reported that they or a family member were denied treatment because they were not deemed medically necessary. Additionally, the MHPAE did not remove limitations on patient visits and number of co-payments imposed by insurers.
Finally, contributing to lack of coverage is the severed relationship between mental health providers and insurers. Many health providers refuse to accept insurances primarily because insurers continue to underpay them for their services. As a result, insured individuals are left with two options: costly, out-of-network services or no treatment.
The state prevalence of children lacking mental health coverage ranges from 3.2% in Massachusetts to 21.9% in Mississippi.
Students Identified with Emotional Disturbance for an Individualized Education Program
Only .763%* of students are identified as having an ED for IEP.For purposes of an IEP, the term “Emotional Disturbance” is used to define youth with a mental illness that is affecting their ability to succeed in school.
Early identification for IEPs is critical. IEPs provide the services and support students with ED need to receive a quality education. Inadequate education leads to poor outcomes such as low academic achievement, social isolation, unemployment, and involvement in the juvenile system.
The rate for this measure is shown as a rate per 1,000 students.The calculation was made this way for ease of reading.Unfortunately, doing so hides the fact that the percentages are significantly lower. If states were doing a better job of identifying whether youth had emotional difficulties that could be better supported through an IEP – the rates would be closer to 8% instead of .8 percent.
The state rate of students identified as having an Emotional Disturbance (ED) for an IEP ranges from 27.72 per 1,000 students in Vermont to 1.97 per 1,000 students in Alabama.
High percentages are associated with positive outcomes
and low percentages are associated with poorer outcomes
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