A recent study conducted by the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute highlights significant barriers to mental health care for children in the United States. The research indicates that while one in five households reported a child requiring treatment, nearly a quarter of these children did not receive the necessary care. The findings, published in JAMA Pediatrics, underscore the persistent challenges faced by families in accessing mental health services.
The study drew on data from the U.S. Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey, covering the period from June 2023 to September 2024. The researchers evaluated responses from 173,174 households, revealing that 20% indicated a need for mental health treatment for at least one child. Alarmingly, many families who did seek help encountered difficulties in obtaining the necessary support.
Alyssa Burnett, the lead author of the study and project manager at the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, expressed concern over the findings. “Nearly one quarter of parents in U.S. households with children reported that at least one of their children did not receive the mental health care they needed, underscoring persistent gaps in access,” she stated. The study identified that single-parent households, those with multiple children, families with homeschooled children, uninsured households, and those reliant on Medicaid faced more significant challenges in accessing care.
The research also contributes to a growing body of evidence indicating that various external factors significantly influence access to mental health services. According to Hao Yu, a senior author of the study and associate professor of population medicine at Harvard Medical School, “Our analysis provides timely evidence that, despite the increasing awareness of youth mental health needs, access to necessary mental health care remains a challenge for a large number of U.S. households.”
Yu advocates for targeted interventions at the state level to address these barriers. He suggests that initiatives aimed at enhancing the child mental health workforce and integrating mental health services into primary care could be effective strategies to improve access.
Overall, this study not only offers an updated view of mental health care needs among youth in the U.S. but also highlights critical areas for policy support and intervention. The findings call for urgent attention to ensure that all children receive the mental health care they require, thereby addressing the ongoing disparities in access to essential services.
