Data & Statistics

Mental, behavioral, and developmental health of children aged 2 – 8 years

Parent-reported information from the 2011-12 National Survey of Children’s Health showed that 1 out of 7 U.S. children aged 2 to 8 years had a diagnosed mental, behavioral, or developmental disorder (MBDD). Many family, community, and health-care factors were related to the children having MBDDs.

• Children with the following characteristics were more likely to have a MBDD:
  • Boys
  • Children age 6 to 8 years
  • Non-Hispanic white children
• Children were more likely to have a MBDD if they were from
  • poor families (those living at less than 100% of the federal poverty level) and
  • families that spoke English in the home

Read more about this study

Mental health of children aged 3 – 17 years

The first mental health report that describes the number of U.S. children aged 3–17 years who have specific mental disorders used data collected from a variety of data sources between the years 2005-2011. Analysis of the data showed the following results:

Children aged 3-17 years were identified as having a current diagnosis of

• 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 children aged 6–17 years)

Adolescents aged 12–17 years were identified as having a current diagnosis of

• Illicit drug use disorder in the past year (4.7%)
• Alcohol use disorder in the past year (4.2%)
• Cigarette dependence in the past month (2.8%)

Suicide, which can result from the interaction of mental disorders and other factors, was the second leading cause of death among adolescents aged 12–17 years in 2010.

Read more about this report on children’s mental health

Access to mental health treatment

Early diagnosis and appropriate services for children and their families can make a difference in the lives of children with mental disorders. Access to providers who can offer services varies by location. CDC is working to learn more about access to behavioral health services and supports for children and their families.

View a map describing the rates of different types of behavioral health services providers by county.

Read a recent report describing shortages of services, barriers to treatment, and how integration of behavioral health care with pediatric primary care could address the issues.

Read a policy brief on potential ways to increase access to mental health services for children in rural areas

Data sources for mental health and related conditions

There are many different datasets which include information on children’s mental health and related conditions for children living in the United States.

References:

1. Perou R, Bitsko RH, Blumberg SJ, Pastor P, Ghandour RM, Gfroerer JC, Hedden SL, Crosby AE, Visser SN, Schieve LA, Parks SE, Hall JE, Brody D, Simile CM, Thompson WW, Baio J, Avenevoli S, Kogan MD, Huang LN; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Mental health surveillance among children – United States, 2005—2011. MMWR Suppl. 2013 May 17;62:1-35.
2. Bitsko, RH, Holbrook, JR, Kaminski, J, Robinson, LR, Ghandour, R, Smith, C, Peacock, G. Health-care, Family and Community Factors associated with Mental, Behavioral and Developmental Disorders in Early Childhood – United States, 2011-2012. MMWR. 2016 Mar 11; 65(9);221-226