Mental Illness in Youth Either Untreated or Undertreated

Mental Illness in Youth Either Untreated or Undertreated

The majority of US teens with psychiatric disorders go untreated, and when treatment is provided, it is rarely delivered by a mental health specialist, new research shows.

Results from a national survey of teens’ mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders and service use shows that fewer than half (45%) of respondents with psychiatric disorders received any kind of mental health service.

The survey also revealed large variation in treatment rates, depending on the type of mental disorder. Youth with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), conduct disorder, or oppositional defiant disorder were more likely to receive treatment, whereas those with anxiety were least likely to be treated. There was also a wide variation in treatment rates by race, with black youths significantly less likely to be treated for mental disorders than their white counterparts.

It is still the case that in this country, people don’t take psychiatric conditions as seriously as they should ― this, despite the fact that these conditions are linked to a whole host of other problems.

The study was published online in Psychiatric Services on November 18.

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