Youth Mental Health: Trends, Access, and Strategies

INTRODUCTION

Mental health disorders among children and adolescents  in the United States have been on the rise in recent years: Protecting Youth Mental Health, US Surgeon General’s Advisory, Office of the Surgeon General, US Department of Health and Human Services, 2021

Rates remain elevated compared with pre-pandemic levels. 

• Source 1: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Youth Mental Health: The Numbers, 2024
• Source 2: Mary Van Beusekom, CIDRAP, US youths' mental health slide began before COVID pandemic, data suggest, 2025
• Source 3: Protecting Youth Mental Health, US Surgeon General’s Advisory, Office of the Surgeon General, US Department of Health and Human Services, 2021

1 in 5 adolescents have a current mental or behavioral health diagnosis  (depression, anxiety, and behavior/conduct problems): Olivia Sappenfield et al., Health Resources and Services Administration, National Survey of Children's Health Data Briefs, Adolescent Mental and Behavioral Health, 2023, 2024

• NOTE: For this source, the mental or behavioral health conditions include depression, anxiety, and behavior/conduct problems. The behavior/conduct problems category is based on questions from the National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH), where caregivers are asked if a health care provider has ever informed them that their child has a behavior/conduct disorder or if the child has received a diagnosis. Parent-reported diagnoses include oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorders, and other clinically diagnosed disruptive behavior disorders. In the NSCH, behavior/conduct disorders are reported separately from attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, depression, and autism spectrum disorder. 

Depression, anxiety, behavioral disorders, and trauma- and stressor-related disorders are among the most common diagnoses: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Mental Health Client-Level Data 2024: Data on Clients Receiving Mental Health and Support Services Through State Mental Health Agencies, 2026

Anxiety, depression, and behavioral disorders are the most common mental health conditions, and suicide is the second leading cause of death for ages 10 to 24.

• Source 1: Olivia Sappenfield et al., National Survey of Children’s Health Data Briefs, Adolescent Mental and Behavioral Health, 2023, 2024
• Source 2: Betzaida Tejada-Vera et al., National Vital Statistics System, Deaths: Leading Causes for 2023, 2025

50% of lifetime mental illnesses begin by 14 and 75% by 24: National Alliance on Mental Illness, Mental Health by the Numbers in the US, 2025

• NOTE: This statistic is still widely used and recognized today. The original source can be found in JAMA Psychiatry.

PREVALENCE OF YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS

Youth are experiencing high levels of depression and anxiety, with significant variation by sex, race, and ethnicity: Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, Mental Health Conditions & Care, 2026

Percent of youth experiencing depression or anxiety symptoms (self-reported): Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, Mental Health Conditions & Care, 2026

• NOTE: All groups, except for Hispanic, were categorized as non-Hispanic populations. For Anxiety, data were suppressed among some racial groups to maintain statistical reliability.

These conditions are disproportionately more prevalent among youth and young adults compared to adults aged 26 and older: 

• Source 1: Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, Mental Health Conditions & Care, 2026
• Source 2: Gallup, US Depression Rate Remains Elevated, 2026  

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among people aged 10 to 24: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, Suicide, 2023

Suicide Death Rates 2014 – 2024, per 100,000 individuals: CW Drapeau & JL McIntosh, American Association of Suicidology, USA Suicide: 2024, Official Final Data, 2026

~20% of all deaths among ages 15 – 24 in 2024 were due to suicide: CW Drapeau & JL McIntosh, American Association of Suicidology, USA Suicide: 2024 Official Final Data, 2026

American Indian or Alaska Native individuals and males have the highest suicide rates: Heather Saunders et al., KFF, Suicide Deaths: National Trends and Variation by Demographics and States, 2026

LGBTQ+ youth have a higher risk of suicidal ideation and are more than 4x as likely to attempt suicide than their peers: The Trevor Project, Facts About Suicide Among LGBTQ+ Young People, 2021

TREATMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS

Gaps in access to mental health care leave some youth undiagnosed or untreated. Access to timely mental health services remains a challenge for many youth, contributing to delays in needed care.

Nearly 2 in 5 adolescents do not receive treatment within six months of diagnosis: Evernorth Health Services, Research: Employers must strengthen their approach to family behavioral health, 2024

Among adolescents ages 12 to 17, around 1 in 5 report unmet mental health care needs: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Data and Statistics on Children's Mental Health, 2025

Mental health treatment rates vary by race and ethnicity, with White youth more likely to visit a mental health provider and receive a prescription for mental health medication: Maya Brownstein, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Adolescents’ use of mental health services unequal across racial groups, 2025

Past-Year Mental Health Service Use by Race and Ethnicity, For Youth Ages 12 – 17: Yanlei Ma et al., JAMA Network Open, Racial and Ethnic Differences in Mental Health Service Use Among Adolescents, 2025

• NOTE: All groups, except for Hispanic, were categorized as non-Hispanic populations. The "Other," non-Hispanic group includes individuals identifying with more than one racial background, as well as Native American or Alaska Native youth.

Differences in mental health treatment utilization across racial and ethnic groups may reflect barriers to care: Yanlei Ma et al., JAMA Network Open, Racial and Ethnic Differences in Mental Health Service Use Among Adolescents, 2025

BARRIERS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE

Although many adolescents receive mental health care, additional barriers to care remain that may limit access to needed care.

Mental Health Stigma

Stigma — often intensified by cultural beliefs related to race and ethnicity — can prevent or delay youth from seeking or continuing mental health care: 

• Source 1: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mental Health Stigma, 2026
• Source 2: Kamla Modi et al., Psychiatry Online, Why Teens Don’t Talk: Understanding the Role of Stigma Within Barriers to Help Seeking, 2025
• Source 3: American Psychiatric Association, Stigma, Prejudice, Discrimination Against People with Mental Illness, 2024

Stigma may be experienced as public, self-, or structural stigma: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mental Health Stigma, 2026

Mental Health Workforce Shortages

40% of the US population, around 154 million people, live in Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs).

• Source 1: National Center for Health Workforce Analysis, Health Resources and Services Administration, State of the Behavioral Health Workforce, 2025
• Source 2: Health Resources and Services Administration Data Warehouse, Health Workforce Shortage Areas, 2026

Mental health workforce shortages also limit access to culturally competent and linguistically appropriate care: Nathaniel Counts, The Commonwealth Fund, Understanding the U.S. Behavioral Health Workforce Shortage, 2023

Shortages are expected to continue as workforce demand is projected to outpace supply in many specialties: Health Resources and Services Administration Data Warehouse, Health Workforce Shortage Areas, 2025

Supply and Demand of Mental Health Specialties, 2023 – 2038: Health Resources and Services Administration Data Warehouse, Health Workforce Shortage Areas, 2025

61% of rural areas are Mental HPSAs — over twice the non-rural rates—and youth face longer travel to care and fewer services.

• Source 1: Health Resources and Services Administration Data Warehouse, Health Workforce Shortage Areas, 2026
• Source 2: Rural Health Information Hub, Healthcare Access in Rural Communities, 2026

Rising Cost Challenges

Youth mental health conditions are associated with increasing health care expenditures, which may contribute to financial barriers to accessing care.

• Source 1: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component, 2023
• Source 2: Theoren M Loo et al., JAMA Network Open, Medical Spending Among US Households With Children With a Mental Health Condition Between 2017 and 2021, 2024

Health care expenditures for youth mental health increased between 2020 and 2023: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component, 2023

• NOTE: Data was pulled using cross-sectional medical conditions data, selecting “mental, behavioral, and neurodevelopmental disorders” under body system, and grouping by ages.

Anxiety & Depression Related Health Care Expenditures (Millions), Ages 5 – 17: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component, 2023

• NOTE: Data was pulled using cross-sectional medical conditions data, selecting “mental, behavioral, and neurodevelopmental disorders” under body system, and grouping by ages.

Children with pediatric mental health conditions had higher total medical spending, averaging $4,361 more  annually than children without: Theoren M Loo et al., JAMA Network Open, Medical Spending Among US Households With Children With a Mental Health Condition Between 2017 and 2021, 2024

• NOTE: Total medical spending includes inpatient, outpatient, emergency department, and prescription drug costs. 

Difference in annual total medical spending per child: Theoren M Loo et al., JAMA Network Open, Medical Spending Among US Households With Children With a Mental Health Condition Between 2017 and 2021, 2024

• NOTE: “Any Mental Health Condition” includes diagnoses of behavioral disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, and depression. ADHD was not included as a data point in the graph as it is a neurodevelopmental and neurological disorder. “Medical spending” encompasses total health care, inpatient, outpatient, prescription drug, and emergency department costs between children with and without a mental health condition.

Many clinicians also cite low payment rates as a barrier to accessing mental health care, especially in Medicaid, which covers nearly half of US children. 

• Source 1: American Psychological Association, New and Proposed Policies Affecting Access to Mental Health Care, 2026
• Source 2: Jane Zhu et al., Health Affairs, Estimating Medicaid Reimbursement For Psychological Services, 2025
• Source 3: Alice Burns et al., KFF, 10 Things to Know About Medicaid, 2025

THE ROLE OF EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS

Barriers to mental health care may increase emergency department (ED) reliance, further straining the health care system: Kadian K Magerl and Beth Ann Swan, Pediatric Nursing, Pediatric Mental Health Care in Emergency Departments: A Review of the Literature, 2025

Youth ages 12 to 17 have higher rates of mental health- and depression-related ED visits than other age groups: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mental Health-Related Emergency Department Visits, 2026

Emergency department visits by age, Jue 2019 – June 2026: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mental Health-Related Emergency Department Visits, 2026

• NOTE: All mental health-related emergency department visits include those for anxiety, depression, trauma- and stressor-related disorders, bipolar disorders, and schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

Youth mental health emergency department visits are associated with increased costs and lengthy stays: Lindsey Mulrooney, The American Journal of Managed Care, Reducing “Avoidable” ED Visits for Mental Health Could Cut Billions in Costs, Improve Patient Outcomes, 2022

Extended ED visits often involve boarding, or waiting in the ED for an inpatient bed. Boarding rates vary by state.

• Source 1: Skylar Jeremias, The American Journal of Managed Care, 1 in 3 Minors Facing Mental Health Crisis Experience 12-Hour ED Waits, 2025
• Source 2: K John McConnell et al., JAMA Health Forum, Variations in Psychiatric Emergency Department Boarding for Medicaid-Enrolled Youths, 2025

Iowa had the highest rate of mental health ED visits resulting in boarding, while Arkansas had the lowest rate: K John McConnell et al., JAMA Health Forum, Variations in Psychiatric Emergency Department Boarding for Medicaid-Enrolled Youths, 2025

THE GROWING IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY

Youth mental health may also be shaped by technological factors – including digital technology, social media, and artificial intelligence (AI) – that are a growing part of daily life for youth: Mental Health America, Technology and mental health: A complex relationship, 2025

36% of ages 13 to 17 report social media use “almost constantly" and 28% report daily AI chatbot use: Michelle Faverio and Olivia Sidoti, Pew Research Center, Teens, Social Media and AI Chatbots 2025, 2025

Nearly 1 in 5 report using AI chatbots for mental health support, with many doing so at least monthly: Ryan K McBain et al., JAMA Pediatrics, AI Chatbot Use and Disclosure for Mental Health Among US Adolescents and Young Adults, 2026

AI is increasingly being used to supplement traditional mental health care and help address unmet care needs, particularly where access to services is limited: American Psychological Association, APA guide to navigating AI-generated advice thoughtfully and safely, 2026

Research on the impacts of these technologies is still evolving, but potential effects on mental health are both positive and negative: National Institute for Health Care Management Foundation, Youth Mental Health: Trends, State-Level Strategies & the Role of Digital Technology, 2026

Potential Benefits

Social connection and support, especially for marginalized youth: Megan A Moreno and Jenny Radesky, HealthChildren.Org, Social Media & Your Child’s Mental Health: What the Research Says, 2026

Access to mental health resources and support: Ryan McBain et al., JAMA Network Open, Use of Generative AI for Mental Health Advice Among US Adolescents and Young Adults, 2025

Self-expression, community engagement, and entertainment: Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health, The Good and Bad of Social Media: What Research Tells Us, 2025

Potential Harms

Bullying, social comparisons, and negative body image

• Source 1: Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health, The Good and Bad of Social Media: What Research Tells Us, 2025
• Source 2: Emily Young et al., Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Frequent Social Media Use and Experiences with Bullying Victimization, Persistent Feelings of Sadness or Hopelessness, and Suicide Risk Among High School Students — Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2023, 2024

Access to harmful, unverified, or misleading content: Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health, The Good and Bad of Social Media: What Research Tells Us, 2025

Privacy concerns and inadequate mental health safeguards

• Source 1: Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health, The Good and Bad of Social Media: What Research Tells Us, 2025
• Source 2: John Sanford, Stanford Medicine, Why AI companions and young people can make for a dangerous mix, 2025
• Source 3: National Institute for Health Care Management Foundation, Interview with the Experts: Megan Moreno & Brian Brooks on Artificial Intelligence & Youth Mental Health, 2026

STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH

Invest in Screening, Prevention, & Early Intervention

• Source 1: National Conference of State Legislatures, Meeting Children Where They Are: Mental Health Screening and Early Intervention Policies, 2025
• Source 2: Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas, Blue and You Foundation 2025 Behavioral Health Grants, 2025
• Source 3: BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation, Investing in Mental Health: How Services Transform Lives in South Carolina, 2025
• Source 4: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Protecting the Nation’s Mental Health, 2025
• Source 5: Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, We’re taking action on the youth mental health crisis, 2025

Build digital literacy and safe, age-appropriate technology habits: 

• Source 1: American Psychological Association, Artificial intelligence and adolescent well-being, 2025
• Source 2: Jenny Radesky, Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health, Understanding the New AAP Digital Media Guidelines for Screen Time and Social Media, Connecting policy to practice: How to implement the new AAP digital media guidelines, 2026

Engage in Youth Mental Health First Aid programs

• Source 1: National Council for Mental Wellbeing, Mental Health First Aid, About Mental Health First Aid
• Source 2: Blue Cross NC, Youth mental well-being and resiliency, 2025

Improve care navigation and family resource awareness

• Source 1: Mental Health America, Youth resources for parents and caregivers, 2026
• Source 2: Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, Behavioral Health Services for Young People, 2026
• Source 3: Independence Blue Cross, Expanding Access to Mental Health Treatment for Children and Teens, 2024
• Source 4: Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Growing Minds: A blueprint for families, 2025

Strengthen the Mental Health Workforce

Recruit and retain a diverse, culturally-competent workforce.

• Source 1: National Academy for State Health Policy, Trends in State Strategies to Improve the Behavioral Health Workforce, 2025
• Source 2: Rachel Nuzum et al., The Commonwealth Fund, Expanding Access to Equitable Behavioral Health Services, 2022
• Source 3: Florida Blue Foundation, Florida Blue Foundation supports improving mental health outcomes and expanding the mental health workforce, 2025
• Source 4: Madonna Delfish and Puja Chadha, Psychiatric News, From Competence to Humility: Advancing Culturally Responsive Mental Health Care
• Source 5: BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation, Investing in Mental Health: How Services Transform Lives in South Carolina, 2025

Expand mental health training across the health care workforce

• Source 1: Erika L Gustafson et al., Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, Community Health Worker-Delivered Mental Health Interventions for Latine Populations in the U.S.: A Systematic Literature Review, 2025
• Source 2: American Psychiatric Nurses Association, About Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing, 2026

Support collaborative pediatric and primary care models.

• Source 1: Rachel Nuzum et al., The Commonwealth Fund, Expanding Access to Equitable Behavioral Health Services, 2022
• Source 2: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Blue Cross Collaborative Care is Your One-Stop Shop for Whole Person Health, 2025
• Source 3: Elevance Health, Integrated Healthcare to Address Complex Needs, 2022

Strengthen youth support programs and trauma-informed care.

• Source 1: Rachel Nuzum et al., The Commonwealth Fund, Expanding Access to Equitable Behavioral Health Services, 2022
• Source 2: Louisiana Blue Foundation, Hope and Help: The Peer Support Model Saving Louisiana Teens, 2025
• Source 3: Florida Blue Foundation, Florida Blue Foundation supports improving mental health outcomes and expanding the mental health workforce, 2025
• Source 4: Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Expanding youth mental health support, 2024

Expand Equitable Access to Care

Reduce reliance on emergency services and strengthen crisis response.

• Source 1: Julie Wertheimer and Brandee Izquierdo, The Pew Charitable Trusts, 4 Strategies to Increase Access to Behavioral Health Care, 2024
• Source 2: Laura Conrad, The Commonwealth Fund, Strengthening Home- and Community-Based Services to Stabilize Young People with Behavioral Health Problems and Keep Them Out of Hospitals, 2023
• Source 3: Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas, Blue and You Foundation 2025 Behavioral Health Grants, 2025

Expand coordinated care and integrated primary care models.

• Source 1: Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, Integrated System of Care (ISC) Program, 2026
• Source 2: Phil Majewski et al., The American Journal of Managed Care, Appropriate ED Utilization Leading to Better Care Coordination, 2022

Improve outpatient, community-based, and virtual care options, especially in rural or underserved areas

• Source 1: Independence Blue Cross, Expanding Access to Mental Health Treatment for Children and Teens, 2024
• Source 2: Anthem Insurance Companies Inc., Virtual Care Supports Health Needs Across Specialties and Geographies, 2023
• Source 3: Brenda Mack et al., National Rural Health Association, Mental health in rural areas, 2022
• Source 4: Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas, Blue and You Foundation 2025 Behavioral Health Grants, 2025
• Source 5: University of Washington School of Medicine, Premera Rural Mental Health Initiative, 2021
• Source 6: Mollie R Cummins, Telehealth, Bridging the Mental Health Gap: How Telehealth Is Transforming Access, 2025
• Source 7: Elevance Health, How Digital Treatment Tools Can Support Behavioral Healthcare, 2023

Strengthen cross-sector partnerships (payers, providers, communities)

• Source 1: Protecting Youth Mental Health, US Surgeon General’s Advisory, Office of the Surgeon General, US Department of Health and Human Services, 2021
• Source 2: Cydnee Parsley, National Association of Community Health Centers, Improving Health Outcomes Through Cross-Sector Collaboration, 2025
• Source 3: Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Expanding youth mental health support, 2024
• Source 4: Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association partners with Boys & Girls Clubs of America to address youth mental health crisis, 2023

Support and enhance school-based mental health programs

• Source 1: National Conference of State Legislatures, Meeting Children Where They Are: Mental Health Screening and Early Intervention Policies, 2025
• Source 2: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Promoting Mental Health and Well-Being in Schools, 2024
• Source 3: Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Iowa, Thriving in the hallway: School-centered behavioral health, 2026
• Source 4: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois Funds School-based Mental Health Services, 2025

Schools: Critical Access Points 

Schools play a crucial role in providing youth mental health by supporting early identification, prevention, and intervention.

• Source 1: National Conference of State Legislatures, Meeting Children Where They Are: Mental Health Screening and Early Intervention Policies, 2025
• Source 2: Lisa R Fortuna et al., JMIR Research Protocols, Addressing Youth Mental Health Through Schools and Primary Care Clinics Using the Connected for Wellness Mobile App: Protocol for a Stepped-Wedge Trial, 2025
• Source 3: National Center for Education Services, School Pulse Panel: Surveying high-priority, education-related topics, 2025

Youth are almost as likely to receive care in schools as from specialty providers. 

• Source 1: Nirmita Panchal et al., KFF, The Landscape of School-Based Mental Health Services, 2025
• Source 2: National Alliance on Mental Illness, Mental Health in Schools, 2026

Yet, only 52% of schools feel able to fully meet youth mental health needs: Nirmita Panchal et al., KFF, The Landscape of School-Based Mental Health Services, 2025

Suicide & Crisis Support Resources

National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or Text 988

• Online Crisis Support Chat with 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

LGBTQ+ Suicide & Crisis Support: Call 1-866-488-7386 or Text 678-678

• Online Crisis Support Chat with the Trevor Project

National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or Text 988

• Online Crisis Support Chat with 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

LGBTQ+ Suicide & Crisis Support: Call 1-866-488-7386 or Text 678-678

• Online Crisis Support Chat with the Trevor Project