Key facts about teen depression / suicide

In 2017, an estimated 2.3 million adolescents aged 12 to 17 in the United States had at least one major depressive episode with severe impairment. This number represented 9.4% of the U.S. population aged 12 to 17. – National Institute of Mental Health, 2017 data

The number of young people who ended up at the hospital for suicide attempts or ideation more than doubled from 2008 to 2015, with more than 115,000 teens being effected.

“Recently published data show that the numbers of hospital encounters and admissions for suicide attempts and suicide ideation in young persons more than doubled during the period 2008 to 2015.”

A 2019 study found that the rate of young people with mental health problems has more than doubled in the last decade.

"A study published this month in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology finds that over the past decade the number of youth with mental health disorders has more than doubled … Survey responses from more than 200,000 youth ages 12 to 17 between 2005 to 2017 and approximately 400,000 adults between 2008 to 2017 were reviewed, and what researchers discovered was alarming. For youth, major depression increased 52 percent from 2005 to 2017 – from 8.7 percent to 13.2 percent, and it rose 63 percent in young adults ages 18 to 25 from 2009 (8.1 percent) to 2017 (13.2 percent).” – National Institute of Mental Health, 2017 data

Nationally, 60% of adolescents who had a major depressive episode did not receive treatment.

“Approximately 60.1% of adolescents with major depressive episode did not receive treatment.” – National Institute of Mental Health, 2017 data

More teens (70%) view anxiety and depression as a major problem among their peers than bullying, drug addiction, alcohol, poverty, teen pregnancy or gangs.

“Concern about mental health cuts across gender, racial and socio-economic lines, with roughly equal shares of teens across demographic groups saying it is a significant issue in their community.” – Pew Research Center: Social Trends (2018 data)

The rate of death by suicide for teenagers (15-19) is at the highest level since 2000 – JAMA 2017 data.

Teen mental health, depression and suicide in North Carolina

Suicide is the second-leading cause of death for teens in NC, behind only motor vehicle crashes.

In NC, 44 children aged 10 to 17 died by suicide in 2017.

NC has the worst rate of any state for providing children who have behavioral health diagnoses with mental health care: Nearly 3 in 4 were unable to meet with a licensed provider in the last year.

“The release of the report cards, and focus on suicide as a worrying trend, comes on the heels of a national study published in JAMA Pediatrics this month that found North Carolina has the poorest record in the country in providing mental health services to children with behavioral health diagnoses. That study found most (72 percent) of North Carolina children diagnosed with a behavioral health condition were unable to meet with a licensed mental health provider within the last year.”