National, State-by-State Data Show Depth of Youth Mental Health Pandemic in New Report

Annie E. Casey Foundation urges policymakers to bolster mental health services for children, including 7.3 million kids with anxiety or depression, as effects of coronavirus crisis linger

BALTIMORE, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Children in America are in a mental health crisis, according to the 2022 KIDS COUNT® Data Book, released today by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The annual report, which ranks the states on child well-being, also focuses this year on youth mental health, concurring with a recent assessment by the U.S. surgeon general.

The Data Book reports that children across America were more likely to encounter anxiety or depression during the first year of the COVID-19 crisis than previously, with the national figure jumping 26% among children ages 3-17 between 2016 and 2020. This represents 1.5 million more children struggling to make it through the day.

The KIDS COUNT Index data in this year's report are a mix of pre-pandemic and more recent figures and are the latest available. Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Minnesota rank first, second and third in overall well-being in the 2022 Data Book; Mississippi, Louisiana and New Mexico ranked 48th, 49th and 50th.

"Mental health is just as important as physical health in a child's ability to thrive," said Lisa Hamilton, president and CEO of the Annie E. Casey Foundation. "As our nation continues to navigate the fallout from COVID-19, policymakers must ensure all kids have access to the care they need to cope and live full lives."

Racial and ethnic disparities contribute to disproportionately troubling mental health and wellness conditions among children of color. Nine percent of high schoolers overall but 12% of Black students, 13% of students of two or more races and 26% of American Indian or Native Alaskan high schoolers attempted suicide in the year previous to the most recent federal survey.

Further, many LGBTQ young people are encountering challenges as they seek mental health support. Among heterosexual high school students of all races and ethnicities, 6% attempted suicide; the share was 23% for gay, lesbian or bisexual students.

The report also finds:

• 17% of children of all backgrounds live in poverty, but rates are higher among African American and American Indian children at 32% and 31% respectively.
• 27% of all children have parents lacking secure employment, but that number goes up to 44% and 41% for American Indian and African American children respectively.

The Foundation calls for lawmakers to heed the surgeon general's warning and respond by:

• Prioritizing meeting kids' basic needs.
• Ensuring every child has access to the mental health care they need, when and where they need it.
• Bolstering mental health care that takes into account young people's experiences and identities.

The 2022 KIDS COUNT® Data Book is available at www.aecf.org.

CONTACTS:
Donte Donald | [email protected] | 404-791-1253
Beau Boughamer | [email protected] | 410-458-5018

SOURCE The Annie E. Casey Foundation