Adolescent and Adult Mental Health Comparison

FASD is the #1 cause of mental retardation in North America.

In the past year (2007), one in eight (12.5 percent) adolescents (i.e., youths aged 12 to 17) received treatment or counseling in a specialty mental health setting for problems with behavior or emotions, 11.5 percent received services in an educational setting, and 2.8 percent received services in a general medical setting.

One in twenty (5.1 percent) adolescents received services in both a specialty mental health setting and an educational or general medical setting in the past year.

Feeling depressed was the most common reason for receiving mental health services in a specialty mental health setting (50.0 percent), a general medical setting (44.3 percent), or an educational setting (38.0 percent).

Table 1. Estimated Numbers (in 1,000s) and percentages of Adolescents Receiving Mental Health Services for Emotional or Behavioral Problems in the Past Year, by Service Setting: 2007.

Service Setting	Estimated Number (in 1,000s)	%
Specialty Mental Health (Inpatient or Outpatient)	3,113	12.5%
Outpatient	2,781	11.1%
Private Therapist, Psychologist, Psychiatrist, Social Worker, or Counselor	2,362	9.4%
Mental Health Clinic or Center	579	2.3%
Partial Day Hospital or Day Treatment Program	416	1.7%
In-Home Therapist, Counselor, or Family Preservation Worker	703	2.8%
Inpatient or Residential	628	2.5%
Overnight or Longer Stay in Any Type of Hospital	510	2.0%
Overnight or Longer Stay in a Residential Treatment Center	199	0.8%
Overnight or Longer Stay in Foster Care or in a Therapeutic Foster Care Home	112	0.4%
Educational	2,862	11.5%
School Counselor, School Psychologist, or Having Regular Meetings with a Teacher	2,428	9.7%
Special Education Services While in a Regular Classroom or in a Special Classroom or Placement in a Special Program or Special School	811	3.3%
General Medical	692	2.8%
Pediatrician or Other Family Doctor	692	2.8%
Specialty Mental Health and Educational or General Medical	1,278	5.1%

In 2007, 10.9 percent of adults aged 18 or older (an estimated 24.3 million persons) experienced serious psychological distress (SPD) in the past year, and about two fifths of these (44.6 percent) received mental health services in the past year. Young adults aged 18 to 25 with SPD were less likely than their older counterparts to have received mental health services (29.4 vs. 47.2 percent among those aged 26 to 49 and 53.8 percent among those aged 50 or older). Of those receiving mental health services, an estimated 6.9 percent received all three types of services (inpatient, outpatient, and prescription medication), 43.3 percent received only outpatient services and prescription medication, and 34.6 percent received only prescription medication. Prevalence of SPD In 2007, an estimated 24.3 million adults aged 18 or older experienced SPD in the past year, representing 10.9 percent of the adult population. Past year SPD was higher among young adults aged 18 to 25 (17.9 percent) than among those aged 26 to 49 (12.2 percent) and those aged 50 or older (7.0 percent) (Figure 1). Females were more likely than males to have past year SPD (13.4 vs. 8.2 percent). Rates of past year SPD ranged from 14.0 percent among persons of two or more races to 6.4 percent among Asians (Figure 2). Figure 1. Percentages of Adults with Past Year Serious Psychological Distress, by Age Group: 2007 Figure 1 Table. Percentages of Adults with Past Year Serious Psychological Distress, by Age Group: 2007 Age Group Percent 18 to 25 17.9% 26 to 49 12.2% 50 or Older 7.0% Source: SAMHSA, 2007 NSDUH. Figure 2. Percentages of Adults with Past Year Serious Psychological Distress, by Race/Ethnicity: 2007 Figure 2 Table. Percentages of Adults with Past Year Serious Psychological Distress, by Race/Ethnicity: 2007 Race/Ethnicity Percent Two or More Races 14.0% American Indian or Alaska Native 13.7% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 11.9% White 11.3% Black or African American 10.5% Hispanic or Latino 10.2% Asian 6.4% Source: SAMHSA, 2007 NSDUH.