Mood Disorders Have Increased Among Kids, Teens
By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, April 23, 2025 -- Depression and anxiety have been increasing steadily among children and teenagers in recent years, a new study says.
More than 1 in 10 children (10.6%) suffered from anxiety in 2022, up from 7.1% in 2016, researchers reported April 21 in JAMA Pediatrics.
During the same period, depression among children increased to 4.6% from 3.2%, results show.
“Our findings underscore the critical need to prioritize youth mental health, which continued to worsen even as we emerged from the pandemic,” lead researcher Marie Heffernan, an assistant professor of pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, said in a news release.
“Parents and schools need more support to be better equipped to help children suffering from anxiety or depression,” she added.
For the study, researchers analyzed data from the National Survey of Children’s Health, which is funded by the federal Health Resources and Services Administration.
Results showed that some physical maladies among children decreased even as their mood disorders rose.
Asthma declined from 8.4% to 6.5% between 2016 and 2022, and severe headaches or migraines declined from 3.5% to 2.6%, researchers found.
Behavior and conduct problems remained at about the same levels, around 7%, researchers said.
“Continued attention and resources are warranted at a national level to clarify and address the multitude of potential causes of worsening anxiety and depression in children and adolescents,” senior researcher Dr. Michelle Macy, an emergency medicine physician at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, said in a news release.
According to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, symptoms of a childhood mood disorder can include:
-
Sad, depressed, irritable, angry or elevated moods that are more intense than usual.
-
Friction with family.
-
Lack of motivation or pleasure in activities kids normally enjoy.
-
Changes in sleeping or eating patterns.
-
Frequent physical complaints like headaches, stomach aches or fatigue.
-
Difficulty achieving in school.
Sources
- Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, news release, April 21, 2025
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 April 2025
Read this next
Vaping Is A Gateway To Smoking, Evidence Says
THURSDAY, Aug. 21, 2025 — Vaping appears to act as a gateway to cigarette smoking among young people, a new evidence review says. E-cigarettes also were significantly...
Sensitive People More Vulnerable To Mood Disorders
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 20, 2025 — Sensitive people tend to have a higher risk of developing a mood disorder, a new evidence review says. In particular, highly sensitive souls are...
Hurricane Season is Here: Are You Prepared?
TUESDAY, Aug. 19, 2025 — Forecasters say it will bypass a direct hit on the continental U.S., but the first hurricane of 2025 — Erin — is a strong reminder to...
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.