One in five U.S. teens experienced a major depressive episode in a recent year. Mental health struggles also impact academics, with over a quarter of high school students reporting their school performance was affected.
Key Takeaways
- 1 in 5 U.S. teens experienced a major depressive episode in the past year (2017)
- 19% of U.S. students reported they seriously considered suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic (2021)
- 1,850,000 U.S. adolescents (age 12–17) had at least one major depressive episode (2018)
- 16% of adolescents reported being late/behind in school due to mental health (2019)
- 27% of U.S. high school students reported mental health issues affected their school performance (2021)
- 1 in 5 teens reported difficulty focusing in school due to anxiety (2019)
- 41% of teens with high stress reported that stress impacted their school performance (2019)
- 43% of U.S. teens reported bullying has affected their emotional health (2019)
- 15% of U.S. teens who used alcohol reported persistent sadness/hopelessness (2019 cross-tab figure)
- 20% of teens in the U.S. with a mental health need did not receive treatment (2018)
- 17% of U.S. adults aged 12–17 with mental health needs received no care because of stigma (2018)
- 20% of children with emotional/behavioral difficulties had at least one unmet need (2016–2019)
- $4,300 average out-of-pocket spending on mental health care for youth in the U.S. (2019)
- $11.2 billion in U.S. direct healthcare costs for adolescent depression (2019)
- $7.9 billion in productivity losses associated with adolescent mental disorders in the U.S. (2018)
One in five U.S. teens experience major depression, and many face serious mental health and suicide risks.
Related reading
01 · Category
Prevalence7 stats
01
1 in 5 U.S. teens experienced a major depressive episode in the past year (2017)
02
19% of U.S. students reported they seriously considered suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic (2021)
03
1,850,000 U.S. adolescents (age 12–17) had at least one major depressive episode (2018)
04
8% of students reported suicide attempts requiring medical attention in 2021 (meta-analysis pooled estimate for U.S. high school students)
05
In 2019, suicide was the second leading cause of death among U.S. persons aged 15–24
06
In 2022, suicide was the second leading cause of death among U.S. persons aged 15–24
07
1 in 6 U.S. adolescents aged 12–17 had a mental health condition requiring treatment (2018)
Interpretation
Prevalence Interpretation
For the prevalence of teen mental health struggles, the data show major depression is widespread with 1 in 5 U.S. teens experiencing it in 2017, and serious suicidal ideation became even more common during the COVID era with 19% reporting they seriously considered suicide in 2021.
02 · Category
Academic Outcomes12 stats
01
16% of adolescents reported being late/behind in school due to mental health (2019)
02
27% of U.S. high school students reported mental health issues affected their school performance (2021)
03
1 in 5 teens reported difficulty focusing in school due to anxiety (2019)
04
38% of students with symptoms of depression reported grades declined (U.S. survey, 2019)
05
23% of students with anxiety symptoms reported absenteeism (2020)
06
54% of adolescents experiencing anxiety had impaired academic functioning (systematic review, 2018)
07
43% of adolescents with depression reported reduced participation in school activities (2017 survey)
08
25% of adolescents with conduct problems were more likely to have lower grades (2018 meta-analysis)
09
18% of teens reported having trouble completing homework due to emotional distress (2020)
10
36% of U.S. adolescents reported difficulties with sleep, which is associated with worse academic performance (systematic review, 2016)
11
18.5% of U.S. students aged 12–17 had an emotional disturbance affecting school (2016)
12
1.0% increase in the proportion of U.S. adolescents receiving special education due to emotional disturbance from 2017 to 2018
Interpretation
Academic Outcomes Interpretation
Academic outcomes for teens appear to be strongly affected by mental health, with studies showing that anywhere from 16% to 54% of adolescents struggling with anxiety report impaired or worsened school performance, including 1 in 5 teens having trouble focusing due to anxiety and 23% missing school when anxiety symptoms are present.
03 · Category
Risk Factors5 stats
01
41% of teens with high stress reported that stress impacted their school performance (2019)
02
43% of U.S. teens reported bullying has affected their emotional health (2019)
03
15% of U.S. teens who used alcohol reported persistent sadness/hopelessness (2019 cross-tab figure)
04
41% of young people reported that social media makes them feel worse about their bodies (2020)
05
15.8% of U.S. youth aged 12–17 reported being diagnosed with depression (2019)
Interpretation
Risk Factors Interpretation
Risk factors for teen mental health are widespread, with 41% reporting stress hurting school performance and 43% saying bullying affects their emotional health, while additional pressures like social media body concerns (41%) and depression diagnosis rates (15.8% in ages 12 to 17) show how multiple stressors can stack up.
More related reading
04 · Category
Access And Care5 stats
01
20% of teens in the U.S. with a mental health need did not receive treatment (2018)
02
17% of U.S. adults aged 12–17 with mental health needs received no care because of stigma (2018)
03
20% of children with emotional/behavioral difficulties had at least one unmet need (2016–2019)
04
1,100+ mental health shortage areas for youth were identified in the U.S. (2021)
05
23% of U.S. teens reported they did not receive mental health services because they were not covered by insurance (2020)
Interpretation
Access And Care Interpretation
Access to mental health care remains a major barrier for teens, with roughly 20% of those who needed help not receiving treatment in 2018 and another 23% in 2020 reporting they were unable to get services because they lacked insurance coverage.
05 · Category
Economic Impact8 stats
01
$4,300average out-of-pocket spending on mental health care for youth in the U.S. (2019)
02
$11.2 billion in U.S. direct healthcare costs for adolescent depression (2019)
03
$7.9 billion in productivity losses associated with adolescent mental disorders in the U.S. (2018)
04
13.9% of all U.S. healthcare spending for youth aged 12–17 was for mental health-related services (2019)
05
1.1% of U.S. adolescents accounted for 6.6% of mental health spending (2017)
06
$2.3 billion in U.S. school costs were associated with student mental health needs (2018)
07
3.3% annual growth in mental health spending for U.S. youth was reported by payers (2017–2021)
08
$1.5 billion was the estimated cost of youth suicide in the U.S. in 2020 (economic burden estimate)
Interpretation
Economic Impact Interpretation
Economic pressures from teen mental health are substantial, with $11.2 billion in direct U.S. healthcare costs for adolescent depression in 2019 and $7.9 billion in productivity losses tied to adolescent mental disorders in 2018, showing that the impact extends far beyond care expenses.
report visual · Key figures
Teens’ mental health challenges rising over time
From depressive episodes to suicide-related thoughts and attempts, the burden on U.S. teens remains substantial across recent years.
1
1 in 5 U.S. teens experienced a major depressive episode in the past year (2017)
19%
19% of U.S. students reported they seriously considered suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic (2021)
8%
8% of students reported suicide attempts requiring medical attention in 2021 (meta-analysis pooled estimate for U.S. hig
2022
In 2022, suicide was the second leading cause of death among U.S. persons aged 15–24
20%
20% of teens in the U.S. with a mental health need did not receive treatment (2018)
source-verifiedcdc.gov · jamanetwork.com2022
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Diana Reeves. (2026, February 13). Teens Mental Health Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/teens-mental-health-statistics
MLA
Diana Reeves. "Teens Mental Health Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/teens-mental-health-statistics.
Chicago
Diana Reeves. 2026. "Teens Mental Health Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/teens-mental-health-statistics.
Sources & references
37 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+19 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)