Kid’s mental health hasn’t always been a top consideration for those raising, educating and mentoring children and teens. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) mental health statistics indicate that negative mental health symptoms are rising, and adults must understand the importance of mental health in early childhood and its impact on emotional, social, academic and overall well-being.

First, we have to understand what mental health is and what the CDC youth mental health statistics signify.

What is mental health?

Mental health describes an individual’s emotional, psychological and social well-being. It influences their perception of life and the world around them as well as their ability to interact with those in their lives.

Indicators of a kid’s positive mental health often include their ability to show affection, resilience, positive outlook, curiosity, persistence, and self-control.

Poor mental health can even affect short- or long-term physical health, academic success, the ability to connect to others and develop healthy relationships, self-esteem, adolescents’ ability to reach developmental milestones, and more.

What percent of youth have mental health issues?

About 20% of American kids and teens 0 to 17 experience a short- or long-term mental illness.

Teenage mental health statistics reflect the of adults who face mental health difficulties. More than 1 in 5 teenagers ages 13 to 18 have experienced or are experiencing a debilitating mental illness, according to CDC data. The rates of kid’s mental health issues have rapidly increased in the last two decades.

Consider these statistics. 

  • Hospital emergency department visits primarily related to mental health for kids ages 0 to 17 increased about 25% from 2016 to 2018, according to a 2022 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report.
  • Suicidal ideation and behaviors are a symptom of mental health struggles. A jaw-dropping fact: suicidal behaviors have increased more than 40% in the decade before 2019.
  • The rates of death from suicide among those ages 12 to 17 increased by 16% between 2008 and 2020.
  • Unfortunately, kids who identify in the LGBTQ+ community are five times more likely to attempt suicide.

The CDC has also been tracking the increase in mental health issues adolescents experience. The 2021 Youth Mental Health Survey, which gathers answers from high school students across the country through mental health-related questions, reported that 42% of respondents “experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness.” This number was up 28% from 2011.

How does mental health affect teens?

Negative mental health can affect kids and teens in a myriad of ways. Here are some typical warning signs.

Younger Kids

  • Irritable more often than not
  • Seem excessively fearful or worried
  • Complain about frequent stomachaches or headaches with no known medical cause
  • Can’t sit still unless they have at least some small movement, such as fidgeting fingers or wiggling feet
  • Sleep too much or too little or have frequent nightmares
  • Do not play with other children or have difficulty making friends
  • Obsess over certain patterns, repeat actions, check things many times out of fear that something bad may happen if it isn’t just right
  • Shut down emotionally in crowds

Older Kids

  • Lack of interest in people, activities or hobbies they used to enjoy
  • Lethargy
  • Sleep too much or too little
  • Have extreme changes in appetite and activity levels
  • Have periods of greatly elevated energy and activity and require much less sleep than usual
  • Isolate and avoid family and friends
  • Significant mood changes
  • Diet or exercise excessively or fear gaining weight
  • Smoke, drink, or use drugs, alcohol or other substances
  • Engage in risky or destructive behavior alone or with friends
  • Talk about or otherwise indicate thoughts or actions of self-harm or suicide
  • Say that they think someone is trying to control their mind or that they hear things other people can’t
  • Academic or social struggles

What are the 5 most common mental disorders in children?

The most common mental health issues in children are the same as the most common mental health issues in young adults. Typically, older kids are diagnosed with mental health conditions more than younger kids for a few reasons.

Younger kids’ mental health struggles may be accidentally missed or dismissed as a developmental phase or because they lack the cognitive and communication skills to understand and talk about what they experience. Secondly, older kids may be in schools and other spaces in which professionals have training to recognize mental health difficulties.

However, that doesn’t mean young children don’t experience these five most common mental health disorders. By and large, anxiety, depression, behavior problems and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are the most commonly diagnosed mental disorders in children.

Here is some more information about the most common mental disorders in children and young adults.

  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 who are diagnosed with depression are also often diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. In fact, about 3 in 4 children with depression also experience anxiety. 
  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 1% of kids and teens in America experience social anxiety.

  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 anywhere from 6% to 16% of kids and teens being diagnosed with ADHD.
  4. Behavioral disorders
    • Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD): Kids diagnosed with oppositional defiant disorder portray a pattern of negative, aggressive, hostile or defiant behavior. They may have trouble controlling their temper, argue with adults, refuse to follow rules, are resentful or spiteful, and have difficulties getting along with peers. An estimated 1% to 16% of kids and adolescents have ODD.
    • Conduct disorder (CD): Those who have CD exhibit persistent behaviors that violate basic rights of others. For example, they may show aggression to people and animals, destroy property, lie often, commit theft, or break rules consistently by actions like missing curfew or being truant from school. Somewhere between 2% to 4% of youth worldwide experience CD.
  5. Eating disorders: These mental health disorders also have negative and sometimes life-threatening physical health implications. It’s estimated that as many as 10 in 100 adolescent females experience one or more forms of an eating disorder.

What is causing the youth mental health crisis?

Just as there are a variety of mental health issues plaguing America’s youth, there are a myriad of reasons when it comes to causes of mental illness in youth. The reasons are as individualized as the kids and teens experiencing them. They may include the following.

  • Having a long-term physical illness.
  • Having a developmental or intellectual disability.
  • Experiencing a big change like moving homes, changing schools, a change in the family structure (divorce, adding a new family member).
  • Being bullied.
  • Witnessing domestic violence or experiencing physical or emotional abuse.
  • Living with a traumatic event.
  • Losing a loved one.
  • Feeling social, academic or other kind of pressure.

These issues have always been potential causes of mental health struggles in kids and teens. However, psychologists know that there must be new environmental or other causes that are creating the increase in mental health difficulties American adolescents are experiencing.

Related to causes of mental health issues in students, some experts believe that increased academic pressures and a lack of direct interaction and conflict resolution in-person could be tied to higher anxiety and depression rates. In fact, only 36% of kids feel confident talking about an issue with a peer they’re having interpersonal problems, according to a study of more than 100,000 people ages 9 to 18 by the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Furthermore, 46% say conflict resolution skills need to be improved and nearly a third of respondents felt they needed to improve teamwork skills.

Social media may also be a factor in decreased self-esteem, more anxiety and depression, increased risk for eating disorders, higher rates of cyberbullying, and other mental health conditions. Through social media use, kids and teens compare themselves socially, academically, physically or otherwise to their peers with a lack of context.

Consider these statistics from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

  • Children and teens who spend more than 3 hours a day on social media double their risk of mental health problems.
  • This is an issue, particularly because a recent survey found teenagers spend about 3.5 hours a day on social meida.
  • Nearly half of teens 13 to 17 said social media makes them feel worse about their body image.

Undoubtedly, the pandemic exacerbated issues, psychologists say. During the pandemic, kids spent more time outside of the supportive and safe school environment. For some kids, this meant more time around abusive or neglectful family, less structure, difficulties in getting enough food, isolation and other issues. 

And the same stimuli that can cause an increase in mental health struggles for adults can affect children, such as witnessing

  • Economic difficulties.
  • Natural disasters.
  • Increased climate change effects.
  • Political polarization.

What percent of mental illness goes untreated in the U.S.?

Experts estimate that only about half of youth in America ages 6 to 17 receive treatment for a  mental health disorder. That number closely reflects the amount of adults  — 54% — who don’t get treatment for mental health issues.

Of course, these statistics only represent the individuals who have a known or diagnosed mental health disorder.

Why is mental health education so important?

Since we know only about half of kids get help for mental health issues, the hope would be that if more kids understand what mental health is and can recognize the warning signs, they are more likely to advocate for themselves and others.

As referenced in the same study of more than 100,000 people ages 9 to 18 by the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, 90% of respondents said they recognize the emotions they feel and understand how they influence their actions. If they can recognize their emotions and their relative actions, they may work to develop healthy coping mechanisms.

Conversely, mental health plays a distinctive role in academic success. Only about 40% of students with emotional, behavioral and mental health disorders graduate from high school, according to the Association for Children’s Mental Health. Wondering about students aged 14 and up with mental disorders approximately what percentage drop out? More than 50%, unfortunately.

How to help a teenager with mental health issues?

Wondering how to help a child or teenager if you notice the warning signs for mental health struggles? The best action is proactive action so issues don’t worsen and loved ones can act as a support system.

Focus first on asking and listening without judgment. If you need help starting a conversation with a child, teenager or peer, stick to the facts: “I noticed you seem to be struggling with what seem like symptoms of anxiety.” Ask how you can help. Offer to listen at any time.

Organizations like Heart of Iowa Community Services can help you and your family navigate this conversation and connect to services that help. Don’t hesitate to reach out at HICSIowa.org.