• Print
  • PDF
  • Download
  • Copy Chart
  • Embed
    This feature allows you to add a graph to your website or blog. The graph will automatically update whenever data are added to kidsdata.org.

Emotional Health


Depression-Related Feelings, by Level of Connectedness to School: 2008-2010 See Source and Notes
(Level of Connectedness to School: All; Answer: All)

California Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 22.7% 77.3%
Medium 34.6% 65.4%
Low 44.8% 55.2%
Alameda County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 20.9% 79.1%
Medium 32.2% 67.8%
Low 42.1% 57.9%
Alpine County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High LNE LNE
Medium LNE LNE
Low LNE LNE
Amador County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 22.4% 77.6%
Medium 41.5% 58.5%
Low 59.6% 40.4%
Butte County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 21.4% 78.6%
Medium 36.2% 63.8%
Low 45.8% 54.2%
Calaveras County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 25.3% 74.7%
Medium 33.9% 66.1%
Low 57.4% 42.6%
Colusa County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 20.6% 79.4%
Medium 38.0% 62.0%
Low 40.0% 60.0%
Contra Costa County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 20.2% 79.8%
Medium 34.4% 65.6%
Low 43.3% 56.7%
Del Norte County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 29.3% 70.7%
Medium 40.1% 59.9%
Low 35.9% 64.1%
El Dorado County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 19.8% 80.2%
Medium 37.4% 62.6%
Low 45.1% 54.9%
Fresno County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 25.6% 74.4%
Medium 35.5% 64.5%
Low 45.2% 54.8%
Glenn County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 22.4% 77.6%
Medium 31.7% 68.3%
Low 54.6% 45.4%
Humboldt County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 20.2% 79.8%
Medium 36.4% 63.6%
Low 48.2% 51.8%
Imperial County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 25.3% 74.7%
Medium 37.5% 62.5%
Low 41.5% 58.5%
Inyo County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 25.1% 74.9%
Medium 42.2% 57.8%
Low 48.7% 51.3%
Kern County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 24.9% 75.1%
Medium 34.5% 65.5%
Low 46.8% 53.2%
Kings County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 25.0% 75.0%
Medium 35.4% 64.6%
Low 44.6% 55.4%
Lake County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 25.5% 74.5%
Medium 43.0% 57.0%
Low 46.0% 54.0%
Lassen County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 19.1% 80.9%
Medium 33.7% 66.3%
Low LNE LNE
Los Angeles County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 22.9% 77.1%
Medium 34.8% 65.2%
Low 44.0% 56.0%
Madera County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 24.7% 75.3%
Medium 32.0% 68.0%
Low 45.5% 54.5%
Marin County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 19.7% 80.3%
Medium 32.7% 67.3%
Low 40.2% 59.8%
Mariposa County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 22.7% 77.3%
Medium 48.3% 51.7%
Low 52.5% 47.5%
Mendocino County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 21.2% 78.8%
Medium 36.9% 63.1%
Low 48.5% 51.5%
Merced County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 26.1% 73.9%
Medium 35.4% 64.6%
Low 45.5% 54.5%
Modoc County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 19.4% 80.6%
Medium 49.1% 50.9%
Low 48.3% 51.7%
Mono County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 30.1% 69.9%
Medium 29.9% 70.1%
Low 49.5% 50.5%
Monterey County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 24.0% 76.0%
Medium 34.4% 65.6%
Low 43.2% 56.8%
Napa County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 23.3% 76.7%
Medium 33.2% 66.8%
Low 38.2% 61.8%
Nevada County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 19.5% 80.5%
Medium 34.6% 65.4%
Low 48.3% 51.7%
Orange County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 21.2% 78.8%
Medium 34.2% 65.8%
Low 45.0% 55.0%
Placer County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 19.6% 80.4%
Medium 35.8% 64.2%
Low 45.1% 54.9%
Plumas County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 25.3% 74.7%
Medium 25.9% 74.1%
Low 59.3% 40.7%
Riverside County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 23.4% 76.6%
Medium 34.1% 65.9%
Low 43.9% 56.1%
Sacramento County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 23.5% 76.5%
Medium 35.9% 64.1%
Low 45.6% 54.4%
San Benito County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 18.8% 81.2%
Medium 36.0% 64.0%
Low 41.1% 58.9%
San Bernardino County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 25.3% 74.7%
Medium 35.1% 64.9%
Low 45.6% 54.4%
San Diego County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 22.0% 78.0%
Medium 34.0% 66.0%
Low 44.9% 55.1%
San Francisco County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 19.3% 80.7%
Medium 29.2% 70.8%
Low 39.5% 60.5%
San Joaquin County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 25.0% 75.0%
Medium 37.2% 62.8%
Low 46.9% 53.1%
San Luis Obispo County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 19.4% 80.6%
Medium 35.8% 64.2%
Low 46.5% 53.5%
San Mateo County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 21.0% 79.0%
Medium 35.1% 64.9%
Low 44.3% 55.7%
Santa Barbara County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 21.7% 78.3%
Medium 34.6% 65.4%
Low 43.7% 56.3%
Santa Clara County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 19.8% 80.2%
Medium 33.2% 66.8%
Low 43.0% 57.0%
Santa Cruz County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 20.4% 79.6%
Medium 34.8% 65.2%
Low 44.1% 55.9%
Shasta County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 24.3% 75.7%
Medium 37.5% 62.5%
Low 52.0% 48.0%
Sierra County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 20.4% 79.6%
Medium 46.1% 53.9%
Low LNE LNE
Siskiyou County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 24.3% 75.7%
Medium 36.9% 63.1%
Low 44.7% 55.3%
Solano County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 24.0% 76.0%
Medium 32.7% 67.3%
Low 44.4% 55.6%
Sonoma County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 20.7% 79.3%
Medium 33.3% 66.7%
Low 43.0% 57.0%
Stanislaus County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 25.7% 74.3%
Medium 37.0% 63.0%
Low 48.6% 51.4%
Sutter County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 25.6% 74.4%
Medium 35.8% 64.2%
Low 40.5% 59.5%
Tehama County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 21.4% 78.6%
Medium 37.0% 63.0%
Low 44.7% 55.3%
Trinity County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 27.3% 72.7%
Medium 40.5% 59.5%
Low 47.8% 52.2%
Tulare County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 25.0% 75.0%
Medium 36.1% 63.9%
Low 45.5% 54.5%
Tuolumne County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 25.0% 75.0%
Medium 35.6% 64.4%
Low 53.6% 46.4%
Ventura County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 22.7% 77.3%
Medium 35.2% 64.8%
Low 49.1% 50.9%
Yolo County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 22.1% 77.9%
Medium 34.1% 65.9%
Low 49.9% 50.1%
Yuba County Percent
Level of Connectedness to School Yes No
High 27.0% 73.0%
Medium 37.8% 62.2%
Low 44.4% 55.6%

Definition: Percentage of students in grades 7, 9, and 11 reporting whether in the past 12 months, they had felt so sad or hopeless almost every day for two weeks or more that they stopped doing some usual activities, by level of connectedness to school (e.g., in 2008-10, 44.8% of California 7th, 9th, and 11th graders with low levels of school connectedness reported having depression-related feelings in the past year). The grade levels included in school district-level data depend on the grades offered in each school district; for example, high school districts do not include 7th grade data. School connectedness includes being treated fairly, feeling close to people, feeling happy, feeling part of, and feeling safe at school.

Data Source: California Department of Education, California Healthy Kids Survey (WestEd). http://www.wested.org/chks

Footnote: Data are presented in periods of two school years combined (e.g., 2008-2010 reflects data from school years 2008-2009 and 2009-2010). N/A indicates that the survey was not administered in that period or that data are not available for that group. LNE indicates that for a specific answer there were fewer than 20 respondents. The level of school connectedness is based on a scale created from student responses to five survey questions. See the “Core Narrative” or “Resilience Supplemental Narrative” at http://chks.wested.org/reports for more information.

Learn More About this Topic

Measures of Emotional Health on Kidsdata.org

Kidsdata.org offers a measure of “depression-related feelings,” which refers to student reports of whether, in the past 12 months, they felt so sad or hopeless every day for two weeks or more that they stopped doing some usual activities. This is one indicator of depression, though it is not a measure of clinical depression.

In addition, kidsdata.org provides the number and rate of hospitalizations for mental health issues per 1,000 children and youth ages 5-19, by age group.

The data on depression-related feelings come from the California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS) through a partnership with WestEd, which developed and administers the CHKS, and the California Department of Education. Data are available by grade level (7th, 9th, and 11th, and non-traditional students); gender and grade level; race/ethnicity; and level of connectedness to school. School connectedness is a summary measure that includes student reports of the following elements: being treated fairly, feeling close to people, feeling happy, feeling part of school, and feeling safe at school.

"Non-traditional" students are those enrolled in Community Day Schools or Continuation Education. According to EdSource, nearly 10% of public school students in California are enrolled in these programs.

Why This Topic Is Important

Emotional health includes self-confidence, the ability to form and maintain caring relationships, coping skills, optimism, and the ability to make positive choices. Sound emotional health, which is more than the absence of mental disorders, is critical to equipping young people for the challenges of growing up and living as healthy adults (1).

Depression is one of the most common emotional health problems among teens, estimated to affect 15-20% of youth under 18 in the U.S. (2). In 2011, almost 30% of high school students nationwide reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness – one indicator of depression (3). Youth diagnosed with depression often experience significant impairment in peer, family, school, and physical functioning (2, 4). Depressed teens also have higher rates of other emotional and behavioral health problems, such as anxiety, drug use, aggressiveness, and suicidal behavior; and they are more likely to experience depression and other psychological problems as adults (2, 4). In addition, rates of serious chronic diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease, are higher among individuals with depressive symptoms (5). Depression can be especially difficult to detect in children, as it can manifest differently in young people than in adults (4).

Sources for this narrative:

  1. American Psychological Association. (2012). Emotional health. Retrieved from: http://www.apa.org/topics/emotion/index.aspx
  2. Jaycox, L. H., et al. (2009). Impact of teen depression on academic, social, and physical functioning. Pediatrics, 124(4), e569-e605. Retrieved from: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/124/4/e596.full.pdf+html?sid=a7050435-b8ce-45e7-a73e-8cdd78d4ed3e
  3. Child Trends Data Bank. (2012). Adolescents who feel sad or hopeless. Retrieved from: http://www.childtrendsdatabank.org/?q=node/126
  4. Brent, D. A., & Birmaher, B. (2002). Adolescent depression. New England Journal of Medicine, 347, 667-671.
  5. Katon, W. J. (2003). Clinical and health services relationships between major depression, depressive symptoms, and general medical illness. Biological Psychiatry, 54(3), 216-226.

Policy Implications

Many primary care providers do not routinely screen youth for mental health issues, and teachers often lack the training or the time to identify emotional/mental health issues and refer students for intervention (1, 5). According to research and subject experts, policy options that could promote emotional health and prevent depression include:

  • Supporting efforts in schools to provide a positive, supportive environment and to offer comprehensive K-12 education for social-emotional development, including interpersonal communication, goal setting, anger management, and advocacy skills, as supported by the National Association of State Boards of Education and the California Education Code (9, 10, 11)
  • Promoting efforts in communities to provide youth with positive experiences, relationships, and opportunities, such as quality after-school programs, which can help youth develop skills to make healthy choices and become caring, responsible adults (8)
  • Ensuring adequate funding and training for a range of school professionals to recognize the signs of depression, self-injury, and suicidal ideation, and to connect students with appropriate services (2, 3, 5, 6), including specific training for meeting the needs of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender youth (3, 4)
  • Structuring public health systems and insurance reimbursement policies to require depression screening and encourage regular administration of psychosocial exams to youth (1, 2, 7)

For more policy ideas and information on this topic, see kidsdata.org’s Research & Links section, or visit the Suicide Prevention Resource Center, or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Also see the Policy Implications sections in the following kidsdata.org topics: School Safety, Bullying/Harassment at School, School Connectedness, Pupil Support Service Personnel, Alcohol, Tobacco & Other Drugs, Child Abuse, and Foster Care.

Sources for this narrative:

  1. TeenScreen National Center for Mental Health Checkups at Columbia University. (2009). Adolescent mental health checkups: Recommendations to realizations. Retrieved from: http://www.teenscreen.org/images/stories/PDF/Event%20Report.pdf
  2. TeenScreen National Center for Mental Health Checkups at Columbia University. (n.d.). Youth suicide and prevention. Retrieved from: http://www.teenscreen.org/images/stories/PDF/YouthSuicideandPrevention.pdf
  3. Haas, A. P., et al. (2010). Suicide and suicide risk in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender populations: Review and recommendations. Journal of Homosexuality, 58(1), 10-51. Retrieved from: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00918369.2011.534038
  4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011). Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender health: Youth. Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/lgbthealth/youth.htm
  5. Suicide Prevention Resource Center. (2010). The role of teachers in preventing suicide. Retrieved from: http://www.sprc.org/featured_resources/customized/teachers.asp#role
  6. Mann, J. J., et al. (2005). Suicide prevention strategies: A systemic review. JAMA, 294(16), 2064-2074. Retrieved from: http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=201761
  7. Goldenring, J. M., & Rosen, D. S. (2004). Getting into adolescent heads: An essential update. Contemporary Pediatrics, 21(1), 76. Retrieved from: http://www.aap.org/pubserv/PSVpreview/pages/Files/HEADSS.pdf
  8. Search Institute. (n.d.) Developmental Assets Research. Retrieved from: http://www.search-institute.org/research/assets
  9. California Education Code Section 51890. Retrieved from: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=edc&group=51001-52000&file=51890-51891
  10. National Association of State Boards of Education. (2010). National guidelines: Health, mental health and safety guidelines for schools. Retrieved from: http://www.nationalguidelines.org/guideline.cfm?guideNum=2-07
  11. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2009). School connectedness: Strategies for increasing protective factors among youth. Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/adolescenthealth/pdf/connectedness.pdf

How Children Are Faring

In California, about 28% of 7th graders, 31% of 9th graders, and 32% of 11th graders reported that, in the past 12 months, they had been so sad or hopeless every day for at least two weeks that they stopped doing some usual activities, according to 2008-10 data. Non-traditional students (i.e., those enrolled in Community Day Schools or Continuation Education) had the highest percentages reporting depression-related feelings in the past year: 37% in 2008-10.

As in previous years, greater percentages of females in 7th, 9th, and 11th grades reported depression-related feelings than their male peers in 2008-10. In addition, students who reported feeling less connected to their schools more often reported depression-related feelings. Among racial/ethnic groups, the percentage reporting depression-related feelings ranged from 27% to 34% in 2008-10, with the highest percentages among multiethnic and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander students.

In 2011, there were 11,687 hospitalizations for mental health issues among children ages 5-14 in California (a rate of 1.2 per 1,000), and 23,514 among youth ages 15-19 (4.2 per 1,000). The statewide rate of hospitalizations increased by 33% among children ages 5-14 and by 27% among ages 15-19 between 2007 and 2011. Among counties with available data in 2011, the rate of hospitalizations due to mental health issues ranged from 0.5 to 3.4 per 1,000 children ages 5-14, and from 2.7 to 10.9 per 1,000 teens ages 15-19.

Research and Links

Websites with Related Information

Key Reports

County/Regional Reports