National studies have consistently substantiated the magnitude of mental, emotional, or behavioral disorders in children and adolescents in the United States. AACAP works to reduce the workforce shortage of child and adolescent psychiatrists who are trained to provide specialized mental health care to children and families in need.
- 13%-20% of U.S. children – nearly 1 in 5 – have a mental, emotional, or behavioral disorder in a given year.
- Only about 20% of children with mental, emotional, or behavioral disorders receive care from a specialized mental health care provider.
- 50% of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by age 14 and 75% by age 24.
- Up to 70% of youth in the juvenile justice system suffer from mental health disorders.
- There are approximately 8,300 practicing child and adolescent psychiatrists in the United States.
- Ratios of child and adolescent psychiatrists range by state from 1 to 60 per 100,000 children, with a median of 11 child and adolescent psychiatrists per 100,000 children. This Includes Puerto Rico and District of Columbia
Credit AACAP 2018