CDC: 1 in 5 Kids Has a Mental Disorder

In any given year, up to 1 in 5 U.S. children has a mental health disorder, a new report says. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the report. It's the government's first detailed look at the subject. Estimates cover children ages 3 through 17. Nearly 7% have attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the most common condition. About 3.5% have behavior or conduct disorders. About 3% have anxiety, 2% have depression and 1% have autism. The report also looked at substance abuse disorders among teenagers. Drug use disorders affected nearly 5%. Other totals included more than 4% for alcohol abuse and nearly 3% for cigarettes. The journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report published the study. HealthDay News wrote about it May 16.

By Claire McCarthy, M.D.
Harvard Medical School

What Is the Doctor's Reaction?

We all need to pay attention to a new report on children's mental health from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It's the CDC's first report ever to describe the number of U.S. children, ages 3 through 17, with specific mental disorders.

According to the CDC, 1 in 5 children has a mental disorder at any given time. And it's costing us $247 billion each year.

The most common disorders are:

• Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), 6.8%
• Behavioral or conduct problems, 3.5%
• Anxiety, 3.0%
• Depression, 2.1%
• Autism spectrum disorder, 1.1%
• Tourette syndrome, 0.2% (among ages 6 through 17)

The report also includes information about adolescents (12 through 17) and substance use disorders in the last year. Remember, these are the percentages of teens who are using them enough to have a real problem, not the percentage who have ever used them:

• Illicit drug use disorder, 4.7%
• Alcohol use disorder, 4.2%
• Cigarette dependence, 2.8%

Another sobering fact in the report is that suicide was the second leading cause of death among adolescents ages 12 through 17 in 2010.

As parents and as a society, we need to take this report very seriously. Mental health disorders are very often chronic diseases. That means they can continue into adulthood. Child mental health disorders also can lead to family, school and social problems. These problems can have long-lasting effects as well.

What Changes Can I Make Now?

It’s important that parents and all those who care for or work with children be aware of the signs of mental health problems. Some of them include:

• Sadness
• Moodiness, irritability or becoming angry easily
• Difficulty paying attention
• Acting withdrawn
• Sleep problems
• Loss of, or increase in, appetite
• Less interest in doing things
• Dropping grades
• Trouble making and/or keeping friends
• Dropping grades
• Getting into trouble at school or elsewhere
• Substance abuse

A child or youth who is showing these signs should be evaluated for possible mental health problems. There might be another explanation. However, the sooner children are diagnosed and start getting help, the better.

We also need to do everything we can to make it possible for children with mental health problems to get that help. Many of them aren't getting it, even though they have been diagnosed. Some can't find a mental health professional. Other children are not treated because their insurance doesn't cover it and they can't afford it.

The solutions to these issues will likely need to come from our elected officials. Talk to your representatives. Let them know that you want them to support mental health services for children in every way they can.

What Can I Expect Looking to the Future?

This is about the well-being of our children. Investing in our children is investing in our future. And investing in our children means investing in their mental health needs as well as their physical needs. I hope that we will rise to the challenge.