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.

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.

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

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.

• Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University
• Child Trends: Adolescents Who Feel Sad or Hopeless
• ChildStats.gov, Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics
• Mental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• National Center for Children in Poverty: Children’s Mental Health
• National Institute of Mental Health: Child and Adolescent Mental Health
• Pediatrics Journal
• Social and Emotional Development in Children and Adolescents Knowledge Path, Maternal and Child Health Library at Georgetown University
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA)
• Teen Depression: A Guide for Parents and Teachers, Helpguide.org
• WestEd: Healthy Kids, Schools, and Communities
• Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families

• Building Strong Systems of Support for Young Children’s Mental Health: Key Strategies for States and a Planning Tool, 06/2011, National Center for Children in Poverty, Smith et al.
• Children’s Mental Health: What Every Policymaker Should Know, 04/2010, National Center for Children in Poverty, Stagman & Cooper
• Exploring the Links Between Family Strengths and Adolescent Outcomes, 04/2009, Child Trends, Moore, Whitney & Kinukawa
• Impact of Teen Depression on Academic, Social, and Physical Functioning, 2009, Pediatrics, Jaycox, L., et al.
• Promising Practices from the Healthy Returns Initiative: Building Connections to Health, Mental Health, and Family Support Services in Juvenile Justice, 05/2010, The California Endowment, i.e. Communications
• Racial Gaps in Early Childhood: Socio-emotional Health, Developmental, and Educational Outcomes Among African-American Boys, 05/2011, National Center for Children in Poverty, Aratani et al.
• Realizing the Promise of the Whole-School Approach to Children’s Mental Health: A Practical Guide for Schools, 2011, National Center for Mental Health Promotion and Youth Violence Prevention, Bershad, C. & Blaber, C.
• Reducing Maternal Depression and Its Impact on Young Children, 01/2008, National Center for Children in Poverty, Knitzer, Theberge & Johnson
• Reducing the Burden of Depression in Youth: What Are the Implications of Neuroscience and Genetics on Policies and Programs?, 02/2013, Journal of Adolescent Health, Volume 52, Issue 2, Supplement 2, Patel, V.
• Research on the Relationship Between Mental Health and Academic Achievement, 06/2012, National Association of School Psychologists, Charvat
• The Effects of Childhood Stress on Health Across the Lifespan, 2008, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Middlebrooks & Audage
• The Mental Health of Adolescents: A National Profile, 2008, National Adolescent Health Information Center, Knopf, Park & Mulye
• Unclaimed Children Revisited: California Case Study, 04/2010, National Center for Children in Poverty, Cooper et al.
• What Works to Prevent or Reduce Internalizing Problems or Socio-Emotional Difficulties in Adolescents, 12/2011, Child Trends, Terzian et al.

• Kern County Report Card, 2013, Kern County Network for Children
• Key Issues for Low-Income Latino Preteens in Santa Clara County, 12/2005, Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health, The Aguirre Group
• Santa Barbara County Children's Scorecard, 2010, Santa Barbara County KIDS Network
• Santa Clara County Children’s Agenda: Indicators of Child Health and Well-Being (Data Book), 2012, Kids in Common
• The Developmental Assets Survey: Young People Talk About Growing Up in Silicon Valley, 2011, Project Cornerstone
• Tulare County Children’s Report Card 2010, 2011, Children's Services Network

add your report to kidsdata.org

Do you have a local or regional report relevant to a topic on kidsdata.org? If you’d like to add it to our research and links section, please send it to us at kidsdata@lpfch.org.