About one in five adolescents were clinically depressed, but only 20 percent received minimal treatment.is a critical developmental period when rates of mental disorders increase significantly. Adolescents are extremely vulnerable to disruptions in the support and stability of their environments. Thepandemic severely disrupted core youth-serving institutions that are important socializers.
Thus, during the first full year of the pandemic, there was a significant increase in clinically depressed children and adolescents. However, only about 20 percent of U.S. adolescents diagnosed with MDD received adequate treatment. Demographic, social, and economic factors proved powerful influences on who received treatment, the type of treatment received, and the sufficiency of that treatment. In general, kids with the greatest risk factors received the fewest and least efficacious services.