Home > Public Policy > School/Community Mental Health > The State of Childrens Mental Health
• More than 140,000 children and youth in Massachusetts need mental health services, but more than 100,000 do not receive the services they need.
• Nationally, 20% of the country’s 15 million children and adolescents have a diagnosable mental health concern. (Source: U.S. Surgeon-General, 1999)
• Of the 3 million American children and adolescents with a diagnosable mental health issue, 10% suffer from a mental illness severe enough to cause significant impairment.
• Only 20% of American children with a diagnosable mental health condition receive the care they need. (Source: U.S. Surgeon-General, 1999)
• Nearly 50% of students with a mental disorder drop out of school – the highest dropout rate of any disability group.
• Suicide remains the third leading cause of death among youth aged 10-24. 90% of children who die by suicide have a diagnosable and treatable mental disorder at the time of their death.
• 70% of youth in the juvenile justice system have mental disorders. 20% experience symptoms severe enough to impair their ability to function.
(Source: “The Time Is Now: Children’s Mental Health Campaign,” except where otherwise indicated)
|
