Behavioral, Developmental Disorders in Children More Common in Recent Years
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 26, 2025 -- The prevalence of children's behavioral and developmental disorders increased nationally from 2019 to 2022, with some conditions linked to caregivers' mental well-being, according to a study recently published in Pediatric Reports.
Austin Lent, from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, and colleagues examined the nationwide prevalence of childhood behavioral, mental, and developmental problems in U.S. youth (aged 6 to 11 years). The analysis included data from the National Survey of Children’s Health (2019 to 2022).
The researchers observed increases across many conditions, including anxiety (9.5 percent in 2020 to 11 percent in 2022), behavioral and conduct problems (9.2 percent in 2019 to 10.3 percent in 2022), and autism spectrum disorder (3 percent in 2019 to 4.25 percent in 2022). Attention-deficit disorder (ADD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) peaked at 12.8 percent in 2022. Caregivers with "fair" mental health had roughly 2.5 times higher odds of having a child with severe behavioral or conduct issues in 2019, while caregivers with "poor" mental health in 2020 had roughly 3.7 times higher odds of having a child with severe behavioral or conduct issues. Caregiver mental and emotional health were also associated with childhood ADD and ADHD prevalence rates, with caregivers with "poor" mental health having roughly 4.6 times higher odds of having a child with severe ADD/ADHD as caregivers who reported "excellent" mental and emotional health.
"While we did not find any significant links between caregiver mental health and childhood autism or depression, our findings support the need for a holistic approach to addressing childhood mental, behavioral, and developmental disorders, one that includes caregiver well-being as a key factor," senior author Lea Sacca, Ph.D., also from Florida Atlantic University, said in a statement.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted February 2025
Read this next
Calorie Restrictions, Low-Fat Diets May Reduce Depressive Symptoms
MONDAY, May 19, 2025 -- Among adults with elevated cardiometabolic risk, calorie restrictions and low-fat diets may reduce depressive symptoms, according to a review published...
Overwork Tied to Structural Changes in Brains of Health Care Workers
MONDAY, May 19, 2025 -- Overwork in health care workers is associated with structural brain changes, particularly in regions linked to cognition and emotion, according to a study...
GLP-1 Receptor Agonists Not Linked to Increased Risk of Psychiatric Adverse Events, Depression
MONDAY, May 19, 2025 -- For patients with overweight/obesity and/or diabetes, glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) treatment is not associated with an increased...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.