Interventions and Treatment
Prevalence and Treatment of Depression, Anxiety, and Conduct Problems in US Children
December 12, 2018 | Emily Taylor
Research published recently in the Journal of Pediatrics analyzed data from the 2016 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH), in which parents provided information on whether their children aged 3-17 years old had ever been diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and/or conduct problems. Survey results show that among children aged 3-17 years, 7.1% had current anxiety problems, 7.4% had a current behavioral/conduct problem, and 3.2% had current depression. Treatment rates were higher for those with depression diagnoses (nearly 80% of those with depression received treatment in the previous year) and lower for those with anxiety and behavioral/conduct diagnoses (59.3% of those with anxiety diagnoses, and 53.5% of those with behavioral/conduct problems had received treatment in the previous year).The researchers concluded the results indicate a prevalence of these conditions and existing treatment gaps to be addressed.