Mental Health Treatment Among Children Aged 5-17 Years: United States, 2021

Abstract

Mental health disorders, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, and behavioral conditions, are common in school-aged children in the United States (1). Frontline treatments for mental health disorders can include medication, counseling or therapy, or both, depending on the condition and the age of the child (2). This report describes the percentage of children aged 5-17 years who have received mental health treatment in the past 12 months by selected characteristics, based on data from the 2021 National Health Interview Survey. Mental health treatment is defined as having taken medication for mental health, received counseling or therapy from a mental health professional, or both in the past 12 months.