Adolescents and Mental Health

By Johanna Parra, MA, PPS. Orange County Dept. of Education jparra@ocde.ud

Statistics on Mental Illness; Children and Teens

  • Behavior/Conduct Disorder (10%)
  • Substance Use Disorder (10%)
  • Anxiety Disorder (8%)
  • Learning Disorder (5%)
  • ADHD (5%)
  • Depression (5%)
  •  1 in 5 children experience a mental health condition during childhood
  • 50% of all adults with a lifetime mental illness report having symptoms by age 14.
  • Only 1/3 receive any kind of treatment
  • Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death in ages 10-34
  • 90% of those who died by suicide had an underlying mental illness.

Source:  Mental Health First Aid USA;    National Alliance on Mental Illness