The percentage of children under 18 years old with anxiety and depression increased steadily from 2016 to 2022, according to publicly available data from the National Survey of Children's Health that were analyzed by researchers from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago.
"Our findings underscore the critical need to prioritize youth mental health, which continued to worsen even as we emerged from the pandemic," said lead author Marie Heffernan, PhD.
These findings highlight the need for prevention and mental health professionals to target mental health promotion within substance use prevention strategies.
For example, the evidence-based SPORT Prevention Plus Wellness (PPW) program is a holistic intervention which targets the prevention of alcohol and drug use while also promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors associated with mental health among youth.
Because substance use avoidance and healthy habits like regular physical activity, breakfast and other healthy food consumption, sleep and stress control are all linked to improved mental health of youth and young adults, prevention provides should aim to address multiple risk factors for mental health problems.
Read the new study’s findings: https://www.news-medical.net/news/20250421/Anxiety-and-depression-in-children-increased-steadily-from-2016-to-2022.aspx
Learn more about SPORT and other whole-health Prevention Plus Wellness programs: https://preventionpluswellness.com