Factors contributing to child and youth mental health struggles

Ohio children and youth are experiencing significant mental health challenges, with increases in overall rates of mental health conditions and higher rates compared to the U.S. overall in recent years. For certain Ohio youth, specifically, Ohioans with low incomes and those who are LGBTQ+, these challenges are even more acute. Childhood mental health conditions can have long-term consequences, including an increased risk of chronic physical health conditions, continuing mental health problems and worse  employment outcomes in adulthood.

Factors that influence mental health differ from one child to the next. Some factors present considerable  mental health risks for only certain groups of children and youth, while others have more widespread  effects.

This brief describes how each factor influences child and youth mental health, the extent to which it exists in Ohio and what the state is doing to address it. Finally, it presents a variety of policy options that could be implemented to address each topic.

3 key findings for policymakers

• Smart phones and social media have benefits for young Ohioans, but are also associated with numerous mental health risks, such as bullying, less face-to-face interactions and exposure to harmful content. Sixty-three percent of Ohio youth, ages 12-17, are spending three or more hours on screens per day.
• Children without safe, stable and high-quality housing often experience mental health challenges. In 2023, 3.7% of Ohio high school students reported experiencing unstable housing; rates were higher among Black and Hispanic students.
• Up to 80% of children and youth in foster care have a significant mental health need, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics7, and these challenges generally continue into adulthood.

HPIO’s child and youth mental health policy brief series

This data brief is the second in a series of four planned HPIO publications on child and youth mental health. Other briefs will address:

• Brief 1: Mental health conditions among Ohio children and youth
• Brief 3: Access to child and youth mental health care services
• Brief 4: The influences of cost and health insurance on child and youth mental health care access

Support for this project was provided by the Harmony Project and HPIO’s other core funders.