New research underscores mental health challenges facing American youth

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As part of an ongoing commitment to address the mental health of young people, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) has released updated statistics highlighting trends and disparities on youth mental health. This new data underscores a crisis facing America’s youth as well as the impact of COVID-19 on mental health. These preliminary findings support efforts currently underway across the country to drive meaningful solutions.

About the data

This data offers a snapshot of an upcoming, Health of America report to be published later in 2023. The Health of America Report® series is a collaboration between Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and Blue Health Intelligence (BHI), which uses a market-leading claims database to uncover key trends and insights in health care.

Updated youth mental health findings

  • ADHD and Depression are the top two conditions adversely impacting health among young people ages 7 to 18.
  • Anxiety affects at least 1 in 5 adolescents (and 1 in 4 female adolescents).
  • Additionally, analysis shows that the diagnosis rates for most mental health conditions continued to rise in 2020 and 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mental health conditions make up one half of the top 10 conditions adversely inpacting both childhood and adolescent health

Mental health conditions make up one half of the top 10 conditions adversely inpacting both childhood and adolescent health chart

*  "Impact" is defined as the amount of mortality risk and disability that the condition contributes to an individual's adverse health
** Mental health conditions are in bold above

Additional findings: Impact of COVID-19

  • Rates of anxiety have nearly doubled for adolescents between 2017 and 2021.
  • Rates of ADHD and depression have grown 50% to 60% among adolescents in that same 5-year period (These rates vary substantially depending on age, sex, race and geography).
  • Male children are more likely to be diagnosed with more than one condition (particularly ADHD and Developmental Disorders). In contrast, adolescent females are more likely to be diagnosed with one condition (except for ADHD).
  • Youth of color and youth in rural areas are less likely to be diagnosed with a mental health condition.

Mental health adverse events

These are any emergency room or inpatient event occurring during a given year.

  • Adverse events are higher for youth of color and adolescent females who have a mental health condition.
  • 1 in 5 Black and Hispanic adolescents with a mental health condition experienced an adverse event in 2021.
  • 1 in 5 female adolescents with a condition also experienced an adverse event in 2021.

Diagnosis rates for mental health conditions in children have risen over past fiver years despite the pandemic

Cumulative Prevalence of Diagnosed Mental Health Conditions in Youth Age 7-12 over 5-Year Span

Diagnosis rates for mental health conditions in children have risen over past fiver years despite the pandemic chart

**Developmental Disorders includes Autism, Asperger's syndrome, developmental speech and language disorders, developmental disorders of scholastic skills

*Cumulative prevalence rate is any young person in this age range in a given year with a diagnosis of the condition either in that current year or in a proceeding year going back to age 7.

Diagnosis rates for mental health conditions in adolescents have also risen steadily over the past 5 years

Cumulative Prevalence of Diagnosed Mental Health Conditions in Youth Age 13-18 over 5-Year Span

Diagnosis rates for mental health conditions in adolescents have also risen steadily over the past 5 years chart

**Rates for Developmental Disorders were left out of this graph due to low prevelence rates for this older age group

*Cumulative prevalence rate is any young person in this age range in a given year with a diagnosis of the condition either in that current year or in a proceeding year going back to age 13.

These statistics follow the release of the May 2022 findings on racial disparities in diagnosis and treatment of major depression

A call to action

Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies are committed to leading efforts with more than 250 unique, mental health programs to meet the needs of local communities. These programs address multiple facets of youth mental health including awareness, integration of physical and mental care as well as initiatives that increase equitable access to care. Here are just a few:

About Blue Cross Blue Shield Association

The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association is a national federation of independent, community-based and locally operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies that collectively provide health care coverage for one in three Americans.