Mental Health Facts: CHILDREN & TEENS
Fact: 1 in 5 children ages 13-18 have, or will have a serious mental illness.
20% of youth ages 13-18 live with a mental health condition
11% of youth have a mood disorder
10% of youth have a behavior or conduct disorder
8% of youth have an anxiety disorder
Impact
50% of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by age 14 and 75% by age 24.
10 yrs: The average delay between onset of symptoms and intervention is 8-10 years.
37% of students with a mental health condition age 14 and older drop out of school—the highest dropout rate of any disability group.
70% of youth in state and local juvenile justice systems have a mental illness.
Suicide
3rd: Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death in youth ages 10-24.
90% of those who died by suicide had an underlying mental illness.
Warning Signs
– Feeling very sad or withdrawn for more than 2 weeks.
– Trying to harm or kill oneself or making plans to do so.
– Out-of-control, risk-taking behaviors.
– Sudden overwhelming fear for no reason.
4 Things Parents Can Do
– Talk with your pediatrician
– Get a referral to a mental health specialist
– Work with the school
– Connect with other families
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