Mental Health Treatment Among Children Aged 5-17 Years: United States, 2019

Abstract

About 16.5% of school-aged children had been diagnosed with a mental health disorder in the United States in 2016 (1). The most common mental health disorders among children include attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, and behavioral disorders (2). This report describes the percentage of U.S. children aged 5-17 years who have taken prescription medication for mental health or have received counseling or therapy from a mental health professional in the past 12 months by select characteristics, based on data from the 2019 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). Estimates are also presented for any mental health treatment, defined as having taken medication for mental health, received counseling or therapy, or both in the past 12 months.