Author
Elizabeth (Izzy) Montgomery, MPA
Policy Analyst
Contact
ACHI Communications
501-526-2244
jlyon@achi.net
More than 1 in 5 adolescents in the U.S. (5.3 million) had a current, diagnosed mental or behavioral health condition in 2023, according to a new data brief from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
Among those 5.3 million adolescents, defined as children ages 12-17, anxiety was the most common condition (16.1%), followed by depression (8.4%) and behavior/conduct problems (6.3%). Female adolescents were more likely than male adolescents to be diagnosed with anxiety (20.1% of females compared to 12.3% of males) and were more likely to be diagnosed with depression (10.9% of females compared to 6% of males). However, behavior and conduct problems were nearly twice as likely to occur among male adolescents compared to female adolescents (8.2% of males compared to 4.3% of females).
The data brief also examines trends in mental and behavioral health from 2016 through 2023, finding an overall 35% increase in these diagnoses among all U.S. adolescents. Diagnosed anxiety increased by 61%, going from 10% in 2016 to 16.1% in 2023, and depression increased 45%, going from 5.8% in 2016 to 8.4% in 2023. Diagnoses of behavior/conduct problems remained stable during that time.
Also explored in the brief is the issue of access to mental health treatment. Nearly 21% of adolescents were reported by their parents or caregivers to need treatment or counseling from a mental health professional, regardless of a current diagnosis. Among those who were reported to need such treatment, 82.6% had received treatment or counseling within the past year. However, some did so with difficulty: Among adolescents with a current diagnosis who needed treatment or counseling, the parents or guardians of 61% said they had difficulty obtaining treatment in 2023.
The brief also finds that adolescents who had a current, diagnosed mental or behavioral health condition in 2023 were more likely to report difficulties both in school and their social lives than adolescents with no current diagnosis. For example, adolescents with a current diagnosis were five times as likely to have missed 11 or more days of school for health reasons in the past year compared to those with no current diagnosis (17.7% with a current diagnosis compared to 3.5% with no current diagnosis). Adolescents with a current diagnosis were also twice as likely to be a victim of bullying compared to those with no current diagnosis (60.5% with a current diagnosis compared to 27.2% with no current diagnosis).
The brief highlights findings from the National Survey of Children’s Health, the largest national- and state-level survey on the health and health needs of children ages 0-17. The annual survey is conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, with funding and direction from HRSA, and is completed by the children’s parents or guardians.
ACHI has explored trends among adolescents utilizing data from the Arkansas Prevention Needs Assessment and the Youth Risk Behavior Survey. We recently published an updated infographic in our 100 Arkansans series which examines trends among high school seniors. Our analysis found that in 2023, 60% of public high school seniors in Arkansas reported feeling sad or hopeless two or more weeks in a row in the past year (an increase of 33 percentage points from 2015) and 34% reported seriously considering attempting suicide in the past year (an increase of 16 percentage points from 2015).
As highlighted in a 2023 U.S. surgeon general’s advisory, there is growing evidence of the negative impacts of social media on the mental health of children and adolescents. ACHI has been engaged on this issue and has developed a dedicated topic page on social media and youth mental health, including resources for parents and caregivers.
