NCHS Data Brief: Mental Health Treatment Among Children Aged 5–17 Years: United States, 2021

New NCHS report describes the percentage of children aged 5–17 years who have received mental health treatment in the past 12 months by selected characteristics, based on data from the 2021 National Health Interview Survey. Mental health treatment is defined as having taken medication for mental health, received counseling or therapy from a mental health professional, or both in the past 12 months.

FINDINGS: 

• Children aged 12–17 years were more likely to have received any mental health treatment in the past 12 months (18.9%) compared with children aged 5–11 years (11.3%).
  • Any mental health treatment included taking prescription medication and receiving counseling or therapy from a mental health professional.
• Boys were more likely than girls to have taken prescription medication for their mental health in the past 12 months (9.0% and 7.3%, respectively).
• Non-Hispanic Asian children were least likely to have received any mental health treatment in the past 12 months compared with children in other race and Hispanic-origin groups.
• As the level of urbanization decreased, the percentage of children who received any mental health treatment increased.