teen psychology & mental health

Percentage of children ages 9 to 17 who have these behavioral and mental disorders:

1.	Anxiety disorder: 13%

2.	Disruptive behavioral disorder: 10%

3.	Mood disorder: 6%

4.	Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder(AD/HD): 4% (Elias, 11-20-08)

5.	5 Surgeon Generals Report on Mental Health

A study which tracked more than 4,000 adolescents as they grew up found that for every extra hour a teen spends watching TV or playing videogames on any average day, he or she is 8% more likely to develop depression as an adult. Study author Dr. Brian Primack hypothesizes that the added screen time often replaces social, academic, and athletic activities that are good for self-esteem and decrease the likelihood of depression. (Week, 2-20-09)

Prescriptions for psychoactive drugs for children and teens have increased 500% from 1992 to 2003. (Archives of General Psychiatry, 2006)

About 15% of parents spoke to school staff or health care providers about their children's emotional and behavior problems in the past year. (Elias, 9-4-08)

75% of inpatient psychiatric treatment given to teens is unnecessary, and often harmful. (Butts & Schwartz, 1991)

Prevalence of major depression among adolescents: (Painter, 4-27-09)

-Children younger than 13: 2.8%
-Boys ages 13 to 18: 4.6%
-Girls ages 13 to 18: 5.9%
-5.6% of teens overall The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force panel recommends screening for teen depression at least once a year.

5% of adolescents experience depression in a given year; 20% will at some point in their teens. Right around age 13, depression becomes twice as common among girls. (Cloud, 6-22-09)

Half of all young adults in the United States meet the clinical criteria for a psychiatric disorder of some kind. (Roan, 12-2-08)

The lower an adolescent’s self-esteem, the more they tend to turn to the use of material possessions as a coping strategy for feelings of low self-worth." (Chaplin & John, 2007)

Around half of all mental illnesses arise by age 14. (Lyon, 2009)