Only Half of Youth With Common Mental Health Disorders Receive Professional Services

12/31/2009

Only Half of Youth With Common Mental Health Disorders Receive Professional Services 

One in eight youth aged 8 to 15 (13.1%) met diagnostic criteria [1] for any of six common mental health disorders in the past year, but only half (50.6%) of those with a diagnosable disorder had consulted a mental health professional, according to a new report published in the journal Pediatrics. [2] Researchers measured the prevalence among youth [3] of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (8.6%), depression (3.7%), conduct disorder (2.1%), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) (0.3%), panic disorder (0.4%), eating disorders (anorexia and bulimia) (0.1%), and more than one disorder (1.8%). Of special concern is that relatively few youth with anxiety disorders (i.e., GAD and panic disorder) receive treatment (32.2%), compared to youth with other disorders (ADHD: 47.7%; conduct disorder: 46.4%; and depression: 43.8%). Additionally, while few racial/ethnic differences in rates of disorders were observed overall, Mexican-American and African-American youth reported receiving lower rates of professional treatment than White youth.

Source: Merikangas, K. R., He, J., Brody, D., Fisher, P. W., Bourdon, K., and Koretz, D. S. (2009). Prevalence and treatment of mental disorders among U.S. children in the 2001-2004 NHANES. Pediatrics, 125(1), p. 75-81.