New data shows a decline in youth mental health and a shift in the way mental health services are delivered
According to a recent CNN and Kaiser Family Foundation poll, 90 percent of adults in the United States believe there is a mental health crisis among young people. And recent data shows they are right to be concerned.
The latest federal data available shows half of young adults, ages 18 to 24, have reported experiencing symptoms of anxiety or depression in 2023, compared to one third of older adults. And these symptoms don’t start at 18. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 3.6 percent of 10 to 14-year-olds and 4.6 percent of 15 to 19-year-olds suffer from an anxiety disorder.
While the COVID-19 pandemic has certainly worsened these trends—in 2021, 30 percent of adolescent females and 14 percent of adolescent males reported seriously considering suicide—the systemic problems that lead to mental health crises are multi-faceted and predate the public health emergency. Across all demographics, the barriers to accessing and receiving adequate mental health care include cost, a shortage of providers, and low rates of insurance acceptance.
Regardless of reason, the lack of appropriate intervention and adequate mental health care affects young people in a unique way. When left untreated, a decline in a young person’s mental health can lead to an increase in risk-taking behaviors, such as heavy episodic drinking, tobacco or cannabis use, or perpetuating violence, as a coping method. These behaviors can, in turn, further negatively impact a young person’s physical and mental well-being and can put them at higher risk for low educational attainment, injury, involvement with crime or even death. A young person’s unaddressed mental health condition may carry into adulthood and affect their physical and mental health and their ability to participate in day-to-day life.
Looking Ahead
This new data surrounding youth mental health, coupled with overall healthcare discussions brought to the forefront by the COVID-19 pandemic, have initiated a shift in the delivery of services for mental health and substance use disorders. In addition to increased telehealth services, school-based interventions and the launch of a national suicide prevention hotline, many states are using Medicaid waivers to increase access to behavioral health services.
FEI celebrates and supports these initiatives. We have worked with several state departments of mental health to provide case management platforms for overseeing a variety of unique waiver programs and substance use disorder prevention and treatment programs. Our behavioral health case management solution streamlines the management of state and local behavioral health initiatives, allowing agencies to focus less on administrative tasks and more on promoting optimal well-being.
