Mental Health Information
According to the CDC
● The suicide rate among persons aged 10–24 was stable from 2000 to 2007, and then increased 56% between 2007 (6.8 per 100,000) and 2017. The pace of increase for suicide was greater from 2013 to 2017 (7% annually, on average) than from 2007 to 2013 (3% annually).
● The suicide rate for persons aged 10–14 declined from 2000 to 2007, and then nearly tripled from 2007 to 2017. The suicide rate for persons aged 15–19 was stable from 2000 to 2007, and then increased 76% from 2007 to 2017. The pace of increase was greater from 2014 to 2017 (10% annually, on average) than from 2007 to 2014 (3% annually).
Substance use and exposure among teens
National Center For Drug Abuse Stats
Highlights
86% - The percentage of teenagers that know someone who smokes, drinks, or uses drugs during the school day.
47% - The percentage of teenagers who used an illegal drug by the time they graduated high school.
43% - The percentage of college students who use illicit drugs.
In 2018, 23.9% of adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 had tried illicit drugs.
In 2018, nearly 30% of teens saw illegal drug use, and the most common place it took place was on school property.
78% of teens indicated their doctor or dentist never spoke to them about how addictive or dangerous prescription drugs can be.
55.8% of teens indicated the main deterrent to using alcohol or drugs was their parents (disapproval or getting in trouble).
In 2018, there were 4,633 drug overdose deaths among youths aged 15-24.
In 2020, 47% of young people had used an illegal drug by the time they graduated from high school. Additionally, current users (within the past month) include: 5% of 8th graders, 20% of 10th graders, 24% of 12th graders.
Early to young adolescence is the most critical risk period for young people being initiated into substance abuse:
70% of youth who try an illegal drug before age 13 develop a substance abuse disorder compared to 27% of youth who try an illegal drug after age 17
“Every year that substance use is delayed during the period of adolescent brain development, the risk of addiction and substance abuse decreases.”
Why is follow up care so important?
A study conducted by Cynthia A. Fontanella, PHD followed 139,694 patients 10 - 18 years old after discharging from a psychiatric treatment center. The group studied those who received follow up care within 7 days post discharge and those who did not. This was a population-based, retrospective, longitudinal cohort study using Medicaid data from 33 states. A total of 56.5% of the youths received a mental health follow-up visit within 7 days of discharge, and this was associated with significantly lower odds of suicide during the 8 to 180 days postdischarge period.
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2769145
