4 Troubled Teens Blog

About half the children who have mental problems are not getting treatment for them, according to a new study from the National Institute of Mental Health. The most common untreated problem is anxiety.

• Dr. Kathleen Merikangas and her colleagues used data from 3,042 children ages 8 to 15 years old, whose families participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
  
• Caretakers, parents and children provided information about the children's mental health.
• Dr. Merikangas identified six mental problems: anxiety, panic disorder, eating disorders, depression, Attention Deficit Disorder/Hyperactivity (ADHD), and conduct disorder.
  
• Among those who had such mental problems, about 55 percent had consulted a mental health professional.
  

ADHD was the most common problem, with over 8 percent of the children having that diagnosis. Children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds were more likely to have ADHD, while children from upper income backgrounds were more likely to have anxiety. Only 32 percent of children with anxiety disorder had gotten treatment.

"The earlier you can intervene, the less likely you are to see the consequences of these conditions, such as children developing substance abuse, suicide, dropping out of school, and not being able to function in their social roles," said Dr. Merikangas.

The study appeared in the journal Pediatrics.

Labels: mental_health, treatment_programs, therapy

Posted By: Aspen/CRC