Millions of American children live with depression, anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorders, Tourette syndrome or a host of other mental-health issues, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes in a new report.
The agency says this is the first-ever report to describe federal efforts to monitor mental disorders in children. It provides estimates of the number of children ages 3 to 17 with mental-health disorders from 2005 to 2011. In all, the agency said, 13 percent to 20 percent of U.S. children experience a mental disorder in a given year.
The CDC notes that for some children, a mental-health disorder can result in serious difficulties at home, with peers, and at school, and can be associated with substance abuse, criminal behavior, and other risky behaviors.
In the United States, the cost of mental disorders for people younger than 24 is estimated to be $247 billion a year.
