What percentage of children suffer from mental health conditions?

Does it seem like you’re hearing more and more about kids’ mental health on the news, from schools, or in conversations with family or friends? That’s not surprising. 

Children and adolescents in our communities are experiencing a mental health crisis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) mental health statistics for youth. In fact, kids’ mental health has worsened significantly in the last two decades, the 2022 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report notes. 

But to examine why mental health for kids and teens is worsening, we have to first understand what it is.

What is adolescent mental health?

Mental health describes a person’s emotional and psychological well-being. What’s more: Mental health affects our overall well-being by impacting how we think about, perceive and feel about the world around us.

And it can affect relationships, social interactions and even physical health. Since childhood and adolescence are jam-packed with physical, emotional and cognitive developments, the importance of mental health among youth is high.

If poor mental health causes a child to miss or delay developmental milestones, they’re more likely to miss other milestones in the future and be further and further behind.

What percentage of children suffer from mental health disorders? 

About 1 in 5 children in America experience a mental disorder in any given year, according CDC mental health statistics for youth. And statistically, more and more kids are experiencing mental health issues.

So what are the causes of mental illness in youth? Mental health can affect children and teens of any gender, socioeconomic standing, background, geographic location and more.

There are multiple reasons for the increase in kids’ mental health cases. First, there is more awareness and willingness to talk about mental health for kids, teens and adults alike. Secondly, today’s youth are facing more pressure than ever with social media and societal influences causing them to compare themselves to others. They have also experienced significant upheaval in the world around them, including the COVID-19 pandemic.

In fact, 71% of parents noted in a 2020 survey that the pandemic had taken a toll on their child’s or teen’s mental health. And according to the American Psychological Association, the pandemic made it more difficult for people to seek help in addition to contributing to kids’ mental health struggles.

What are the 3 most common mental disorders in childhood?

Some of the most common mental health conditions affecting America’s kids include the following.

1. Mood disorders
• Depressive disorder: Commonly known as depression, depressive disorder is marked by a depressed or “down” mood for an extended period of time, or at least two weeks. Depression involves a loss of hope and interest in people, activities and other things a person used to enjoy. Of American kids ages 3 to 17, about 4.4% — or 2.7 million — of children are diagnosed with depression. Depression is one of the most common mood disorders kids and teens experience, and those with depression are also often diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. In fact, about 3 in 4 children with depression also experience anxiety. 
• Bipolar disorder: Bipolar disorder consists of periods of abnormal swings in mood and energy levels that last at least four consecutive days. These moods are often characterized by a persistently elevated mood — which could include gleefulness or even irritability — and increased energy. The downswing from this mood often includes low energy and feelings of intense sadness, hopelessness and negativity. It’s estimated that about 7% of children and adolescents in America have a disorder on the bipolar spectrum.
2. Anxiety Disorders
• Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD): Those who experience generalized anxiety disorder have excessive and intense worries about many events, activities or situations. While they may have certain triggers that elevate nervous or anxious symptoms, they likely have anxiety about a variety of scenarios. These anxious feelings are often out of proportion to the probability that the anticipated event will actually take place. Symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder often interfere with day-to-day life and cause physical symptoms, like panic attacks, sweating, shortness of breath, nausea, heart palpitations, shaking and more. Since 9.4% of American kids and teens have an anxiety disorder, or about 5.8 million, generalized anxiety disorder is one of the most common mental health conditions affecting children. About 1 in 3 children who have an anxiety disorder also have depression.
• Social anxiety disorder (SAD): Similar to generalized anxiety disorder, the triggers and symptoms for social anxiety disorder are mostly linked to anxious thoughts and feelings surrounding social situations, causing an individual to avoid social settings. Experts estimate that 9.1% of kids and teens in America experience social anxiety.
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): Kids and teens can develop PTSD after severely traumatic events, such as exposure to death, serious injury, sexual violence or other trauma. Triggering scenarios can cause them to reexperience their initial trauma. Symptoms can include dissociation; emotional or behavioral issues; anger or irritation; and fight, flight or freeze responses. It’s estimated that about 5% of children and adolescents have PTSD.
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD):Those who have OCD obsess over certain topics or have compulsions they have trouble controlling. The subjects individuals focus on are specific to each individual, but common obsessions and compulsions center on cleaning, symmetry and patterns as well as fears of harm coming to oneself or a loved one. About 0.5% of kids and teens in the U.S. have OCD.
3. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): Kids and adolescents with ADHD have great difficulty staying focused and controlling their behavior due to hyperactivity. This is one of the most common mental health disorders kids and adolescents experience with about 10% of kids and teens being diagnosed with ADHD.