More than 16 percent of youths aged 12 to 17 experienced a mental illness in 2020, according to a report by Mental Health America.
The 2023 "State of Mental Health in America" report gathered data from health screenings from populations in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., through 2020 to assess the mental health of Americans. The report was released in October 2022.
In South Carolina, Kentucky, Hawaii and Texas, three-quarters of youth with major depression did not receive mental health treatment. In South Carolina, the lowest ranking state, nearly 8 in 10 youth with depression do not receive care, according to the report.
Interestingly, South Carolina also showed the lowest overall rate of youth experiencing major depression of any state in the U.S. Major depressive episodes among youths were most prevalent in Oregon, where 21.1 percent of children, or 63,000 individuals, reported experiencing an episode.
The four states, with their percentage of youth with untreated major depression:
1. South Carolina: 77.1 percent (29,000 young people)
2. Texas: 74.9 percent (306,000 young people)
3. Hawaii: 74.9 percent (12,000 young people)
4. Kentucky: 74.7 percent (29,000 young people)