Dive Brief:
- Analyzing data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s annual survey on drug use and health, Project Know discovered troubling statistics about student-aged youth, including that 27% of 15-year-old girls experienced a “major depressive episode” in 2015, up from 21% in 2014.
- According to the analysis, multiracial teens are consistently more likely to experience major depressive episodes than their peers who identify with just one race, and studies have shown suicide for young American Indians and Alaska Natives is the second-leading cause of death among those aged 15 to 24.
- While nearly 60% of youth sought help because they felt depressed, the second-leading reason, representing 31% of respondents, was that they thought about or tried to kill themselves, and one-third of 14-to-15-year-olds who have experienced a major depressive episode also have a substance use disorder.
Dive Insight:
According to Project Know, mental health disorders are the most common diseases that occur in childhood. But most students who need mental health services do not get them. In schools and at home, their conditions often go undiagnosed. Many schools find it particularly difficult to provide services to all students who need them because of budgets.
Cash-strapped school districts often try to save money by stretching counselors and social workers across schools. Their caseloads end up being so large they can’t possibly keep tabs on every student. Even beyond their caseloads, many students in need do not even qualify for services, given eligibility constraints. In a series on mental health in schools NPR called the issue a silent epidemic.