Only half of American youngsters diagnosed with mental illnesses have received professional treatment, a report published Dec. 14, 2009 in Pediatrics declared. The report also offered an insight on the extent of mental disorders among the American youth.
In the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted between 2001 and 2004, 13% of 3,042 participants from ages 8 to 15 tested positive for mental illness. Just 55% of this group looked for medical attention in the past year.
Black and Mexican-American respondents were found to be less inclined to seek professional help than their Caucasian counterparts. Conversely, males were more amenable to the idea. Those who belong to low social classes were also likely to seek a mental health professional.
Inevitably, the study was an opportunity to size up the prevalence of mental disorders in America.
“Until now, there has been a dearth of reliable data on the magnitude, course and treatment patterns of mental disorders among U.S. youth,” said researcher Kathleen Ries Merikangas of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).
She and her peers monitored six mental disorders, to wit: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), depression, panic disorder, eating disorders (anorexia and bulimia), and conduct disorder. Other disorders, like phobias and schizophrenia, were excluded.
Her team found that 8.6% of mentally ill respondents tested positive for ADHD. Kids with GAD constituted 0.3%; depression, 3.7%; panic disorder, 0.4%; eating disorder, 0.1%; and conduct disorder, 2.1%.
Boys were more likely to have ADHD, but depression among them is less common than in girls. The latter disorder is also more common among minors aged 12 to 15.
On occasion, some respondents exhibited multiple illnesses. Around 1.8% of the respondents reported more than one infirmity, typically a combo of ADHD and conduct disorder.
Respondents underwent painstaking personal evaluations and physical exams before researchers trimmed them down for study in the past year. Caregivers and parents also volunteered additional data about their wards and what, if any, treatments they have received. The National Institute of Mental Health collaborated with the National Center for Health Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the study.