Youth Ranking 2024

 
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Youth Ranking

States with rankings 1-13 have a lower prevalence of mental illness and higher rates of access to care for youth. States with rankings 39-51 indicate that youth have a higher prevalence of mental illness and lower rates of access to care.

The seven measures that make up the Youth Ranking include:

  1.  Youth with at Least One Major Depressive Episode (MDE) in the Past Year
  2.  Youth with Substance Use Disorder in the Past Year
  3.  Youth with Serious Thoughts of Suicide
  4.  Youth (Ages 6-17) Flourishing
  5.  Youth with MDE Who Did Not Receive Mental Health Services
  6.  Youth with Private Insurance That Did Not Cover Mental or Emotional Problems
  7.  Students (K+) Identified with Emotional Disturbance for an Individualized Education Program.
Rank State
01 District of Columbia
02 Connecticut
03 Massachusetts
04 Illinois
05 Georgia
06 Vermont
07 Maine
08 Utah
09 Michigan
10 New Jersey
11 New York
12 Wisconsin
13 Pennsylvania
14 New Hampshire
15 Texas
16 Kansas
17 Virginia
18 Mississippi
19 Minnesota
20 California
21 Hawaii
22 Florida
23 Rhode Island
24 Iowa
25 South Dakota
26 North Carolina
27 Indiana
28 Wyoming
29 Ohio
30 Nebraska
31 Maryland
32 Alabama
33 North Dakota
34 Delaware
35 South Carolina
36 Kentucky
37 West Virginia
38 Louisiana
39 Oklahoma
40 Idaho
41 Missouri
42 Montana
43 Arkansas
44 Colorado
45 New Mexico
46 Tennessee
47 Alaska
48 Washington
49 Oregon
50 Arizona
51 Nevada

Youth with At Least One Major Depressive Episode (MDE) 2024

 
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Youth with at Least One Past Year Major Depressive Episode (MDE)

20.17% of youth (ages 12-17) reported suffering from at least one major depressive episode (MDE) in the past year.

15% of youth in the U.S. experienced an MDE with severe impairment, meaning it severely impacted their functioning at work, school, or home.

The state prevalence of youth with MDE ranges from 16.02% in the District of Columbia to 24.96% in Oregon.

Rank State Percentage Number
01 District of Columbia 16.02% 5,000
02 Hawaii 17.15% 17,000
03 Georgia 17.39% 159,000
04 South Carolina 17.88% 72,000
05 Utah 18.33% 62,000
06 Texas 18.40% 483,000
07 Michigan 18.65% 142,000
08 Mississippi 18.73% 47,000
09 Oklahoma 18.76% 63,000
10 Arkansas 18.97% 47,000
11 Massachusetts 19.18% 93,000
12 South Dakota 19.21% 14,000
13 Vermont 19.25% 8,000
14 Alabama 19.41% 76,000
15 Wisconsin 19.41% 89,000
16 North Carolina 19.46% 160,000
17 Kentucky 19.50% 69,000
18 New York 19.58% 272,000
19 New Jersey 19.70% 141,000
20 Connecticut 19.83% 54,000
21 West Virginia 19.85% 25,000
22 Louisiana 19.91% 74,000
23 Maine 19.93% 18,000
24 California 20.01% 616,000
25 Illinois 20.21% 202,000
26 Virginia 20.22% 133,000
27 Kansas 20.34% 50,000
28 Indiana 20.44% 114,000
29 Tennessee 20.50% 111,000
30 Pennsylvania 20.50% 193,000
31 Delaware 20.55% 15,000
32 Ohio 20.79% 190,000
33 Iowa 20.88% 54,000
34 Nebraska 21.12% 35,000
35 Florida 21.43% 325,000
36 Idaho 21.50% 37,000
37 North Dakota 21.56% 13,000
38 Missouri 21.59% 105,000
39 New Hampshire 21.63% 20,000
40 Wyoming 21.70% 10,000
41 Alaska 21.72% 13,000
42 Montana 21.89% 18,000
43 Minnesota 22.07% 102,000
44 Rhode Island 22.15% 16,000
45 Maryland 22.17% 105,000
46 New Mexico 23.23% 40,000
47 Colorado 23.32% 103,000
48 Washington 23.39% 135,000
49 Nevada 23.51% 58,000
50 Arizona 23.96% 139,000
51 Oregon 24.96% 76,000
52 National 20.17% 5,217,000

Youths with Serious Thoughts of Suicide 2024

 
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Youth with Serious Thoughts of Suicide

13.16% of youth (over 3.4 million youth) are experiencing serious thoughts of suicide. 

The state prevalence of youth with serious thoughts of suicide ranges from 10.68% in the District of Columbia to 15.00% in Oregon.

Rank State Percentage Number
01 District of Columbia 10.68% 4,000
02 Connecticut 11.00% 30,000
03 Michigan 11.85% 90,000
04 Texas 12.05% 316,000
05 Massachusetts 12.24% 59,000
06 New York 12.25% 170,000
07 Georgia 12.34% 113,000
08 Mississippi 12.37% 31,000
09 South Carolina 12.55% 50,000
10 New Jersey 12.71% 91,000
11 North Carolina 12.79% 105,000
12 Kentucky 12.94% 46,000
13 New Mexico 12.95% 22,000
14 Rhode Island 12.98% 10,000
15 Utah 13.04% 44,000
16 Delaware 13.06% 10,000
17 Vermont 13.07% 6,000
18 Kansas 13.09% 32,000
19 Louisiana 13.20% 49,000
20 Illinois 13.21% 132,000
21 Alabama 13.23% 52,000
22 Maryland 13.32% 63,000
23 Maine 13.34% 12,000
24 Indiana 13.34% 74,000
25 California 13.34% 411,000
26 Virginia 13.37% 88,000
27 Florida 13.40% 203,000
28 Pennsylvania 13.46% 127,000
29 New Hampshire 13.58% 13,000
30 Arizona 13.61% 79,000
31 North Dakota 13.63% 8,000
32 Wisconsin 13.69% 63,000
33 Oklahoma 13.71% 46,000
34 Nevada 13.80% 34,000
35 Iowa 13.80% 36,000
36 West Virginia 13.90% 18,000
37 Minnesota 13.94% 64,000
38 Arkansas 14.03% 35,000
39 Hawaii 14.04% 14,000
40 Tennessee 14.16% 77,000
41 Nebraska 14.18% 24,000
42 Ohio 14.25% 130,000
43 Colorado 14.26% 63,000
44 South Dakota 14.33% 11,000
45 Wyoming 14.34% 7,000
46 Missouri 14.43% 70,000
47 Alaska 14.52% 9,000
48 Montana 14.64% 12,000
49 Washington 14.79% 85,000
50 Idaho 14.89% 25,000
51 Oregon 15.00% 46,000
52 National 13.16% 3,406,000

Youth with Substance Use Disorder 2024

 
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Youth with Substance Use Disorder in the Past Year

8.95% of youth in the U.S. reported a substance use disorder in the past year.  

3.32% had an alcohol use disorder in the past year, while 7.17% had a drug use disorder.

The state prevalence of youth with substance use disorder ranges from 5.43% in Utah to 16.01% in New Mexico.

According to SAMHSA, “Substance Use Disorder (SUD) estimates are based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition criteria. SUD is defined as meeting the criteria for drug or alcohol use disorder. Beginning with the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, questions on prescription drug use disorder were asked of all past year users of prescription drugs, regardless of whether they misused prescription drugs.” 

Rank State Percentage Number
01 Utah 5.43% 18,000
02 New Hampshire 7.13% 7,000
03 New Jersey 7.25% 52,000
04 North Carolina 7.42% 61,000
05 South Carolina 7.44% 30,000
06 Connecticut 7.66% 21,000
07 Mississippi 7.69% 19,000
08 Virginia 7.69% 50,000
09 Texas 7.79% 204,000
10 Alabama 7.82% 31,000
11 Michigan 8.12% 62,000
12 Massachusetts 8.14% 39,000
13 Florida 8.19% 124,000
14 California 8.21% 253,000
15 South Dakota 8.23% 6,000
16 Maryland 8.31% 39,000
17 Kentucky 8.40% 30,000
18 Pennsylvania 8.55% 80,000
19 Maine 8.66% 8,000
20 Arkansas 8.77% 22,000
21 Indiana 8.78% 49,000
22 Kansas 8.81% 22,000
23 Nebraska 8.86% 15,000
24 West Virginia 8.96% 11,000
25 North Dakota 8.97% 5,000
26 Delaware 9.09% 7,000
27 Georgia 9.29% 85,000
28 Illinois 9.33% 93,000
29 Ohio 9.41% 86,000
30 Wyoming 9.43% 5,000
31 Hawaii 9.44% 9,000
32 Tennessee 9.47% 51,000
33 New York 9.53% 132,000
34 Idaho 9.86% 17,000
35 Vermont 10.10% 4,000
36 Wisconsin 10.28% 47,000
37 Minnesota 10.30% 47,000
38 District of Columbia 10.34% 4,000
39 Arizona 10.68% 62,000
40 Montana 10.93% 9,000
41 Iowa 10.95% 28,000
42 Washington 10.96% 63,000
43 Rhode Island 11.03% 8,000
44 Missouri 11.15% 54,000
45 Colorado 11.27% 50,000
46 Oklahoma 11.49% 38,000
47 Alaska 11.51% 7,000
48 Oregon 12.52% 38,000
49 Louisiana 13.40% 50,000
50 Nevada 14.09% 35,000
51 New Mexico 16.01% 27,000
52 National 8.95% 2,316,000

Youth with MDE Who Did Not Receive Mental Health Services 2024

 
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Youth with MDE who Did Not Receive Mental Health Services

56.1% of youth with major depression did not receive any mental health treatment. This was defined as receiving treatment or counseling from a medical doctor or other professional or receiving medication for MDE.

In 2022, 48.3% of youth with MDE reported an unmet need for treatment. The main reason youth reported not receiving care was they felt they should have been able to handle their mental health on their own (86.9%). That was followed by being worried what people would think or say if they got treatment (59.8%), being worried that the information they shared would not be kept private (57.8%), and not knowing how or where to get treatment (55.5%).

The state prevalence of untreated youth with depression ranges from 31.50% in the District of Columbia to 82.10% in South Dakota.

Rank State Percentage Number
01 District of Columbia 31.50% 2,000
02 Maine 34.60% 6,000
03 Louisiana 38.90% 31,000
04 Illinois 39.30% 79,000
05 Idaho 42.60% 14,000
06 Rhode Island 43.20% 8,000
07 Oregon 44.70% 37,000
08 Maryland 46.00% 49,000
09 Massachusetts 46.10% 35,000
10 Montana 46.60% 9,000
11 Wisconsin 47.00% 37,000
12 North Carolina 47.20% 71,000
13 Wyoming 47.20% 4,000
14 Utah 47.90% 24,000
15 Florida 49.70% 155,000
16 Iowa 51.20% 28,000
17 Ohio 52.00% 97,000
18 Colorado 52.90% 64,000
19 Connecticut 53.00% 24,000
20 New Hampshire 53.00% 11,000
21 Vermont 53.00% 3,000
22 Missouri 53.30% 65,000
23 Georgia 53.70% 75,000
24 Pennsylvania 53.70% 104,000
25 Washington 54.00% 79,000
26 Kentucky 54.10% 32,000
27 Virginia 54.50% 75,000
28 Michigan 55.70% 71,000
29 New Jersey 56.40% 71,000
30 Mississippi 56.60% 26,000
31 Oklahoma 56.60% 28,000
32 Delaware 56.80% 9,000
33 West Virginia 57.10% 14,000
34 New York 57.20% 149,000
35 Arkansas 58.30% 24,000
36 Alabama 58.70% 42,000
37 North Dakota 61.30% 9,000
38 California 62.40% 346,000
39 Tennessee 62.40% 69,000
40 Minnesota 63.50% 70,000
41 Nebraska 65.10% 24,000
42 Indiana 66.40% 65,000
43 Alaska 66.70% 9,000
44 Kansas 66.70% 34,000
45 Arizona 67.20% 101,000
46 Texas 67.60% 284,000
47 South Carolina 67.70% 39,000
48 New Mexico 69.60% 31,000
49 Hawaii 69.90% 8,000
50 Nevada 73.70% 47,000
51 South Dakota 82.10% 8,000
52 National 56.10% 2,793,000

Youth with Private Insurance that Did Not Cover Mental or Emotional Problems 2024

 
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Youth with Private Insurance That Did Not Cover Mental or Emotional Problems

Nationally, 8.5% of youth who are covered under private insurance do not have coverage for mental or emotional difficulties – totaling over 1 million youth.

The state prevalence of youth lacking mental health coverage ranges from 2.30% in Connecticut to 17.00% in Mississippi.

Rank State Percentage Number
01 Connecticut 2.30% 4,000
02 Maine 2.70% 1,000
03 Kansas 3.90% 5,000
04 South Dakota 4.90% 2,000
05 New Hampshire 5.30% 3,000
06 District of Columbia 5.50% 1,000
07 New York 5.60% 36,000
08 Minnesota 6.00% 18,000
09 Vermont 6.00% 1,000
10 Illinois 6.10% 35,000
11 Wyoming 6.10% 2,000
12 Indiana 6.20% 20,000
13 Iowa 6.30% 9,000
14 New Mexico 6.30% 3,000
15 New Jersey 6.50% 24,000
16 Virginia 6.50% 23,000
17 Colorado 6.70% 16,000
18 California 6.80% 95,000
19 Utah 6.80% 15,000
20 Washington 6.80% 22,000
21 Idaho 6.90% 6,000
22 Alaska 7.20% 1,000
23 Rhode Island 7.20% 2,000
24 Oregon 7.40% 11,000
25 Alabama 7.50% 11,000
26 North Dakota 7.60% 2,000
27 Florida 7.70% 48,000
28 Wisconsin 7.70% 20,000
29 Ohio 8.00% 39,000
30 Pennsylvania 8.20% 40,000
31 Hawaii 8.30% 4,000
32 Nebraska 8.30% 8,000
33 Oklahoma 9.00% 9,000
34 Missouri 9.10% 20,000
35 Montana 9.20% 4,000
36 Massachusetts 9.40% 28,000
37 Louisiana 9.60% 10,000
38 Georgia 10.40% 42,000
39 Michigan 10.40% 40,000
40 Kentucky 10.70% 15,000
41 Texas 10.90% 112,000
42 West Virginia 11.20% 6,000
43 Delaware 12.00% 5,000
44 Maryland 13.60% 36,000
45 Tennessee 14.00% 29,000
46 Arkansas 14.10% 12,000
47 North Carolina 14.20% 55,000
48 Arizona 14.80% 30,000
49 Nevada 14.80% 18,000
50 South Carolina 15.90% 26,000
51 Mississippi 17.00% 12,000
52 National 8.50% 1,039,000

Students (K+) Identified with Emotional Disturbance for An Individualized Education Program 2024

 
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Students (K+) Identified with Emotional Disturbance for an Individualized Education Program

Only .667% of students are identified as having an Emotional Disturbance (ED) for an Individualized Education Program (IEP).

For purposes of an IEP, the term “Emotional Disturbance” is used to define youth with a mental or behavioral health condition that is affecting their educational performance.

The rate for this measure is shown as a rate per 1,000 students.

The calculation was made this way for ease of reading. Unfortunately, doing so hides the fact that the percentages are significantly lower.

The state rate of students identified as having an emotional disturbance for an IEP ranges from 28.01 per 1,000 students in Vermont to 1.55 per 1,000 students in Alabama.

Rank State Percentage Number
01 Vermont 28.01 2,122
02 Massachusetts 19.03 16,978
03 Minnesota 19.00 16,074
04 Pennsylvania 15.16 25,547
05 Maine 13.97 2,342
06 Wisconsin 13.09 10,111
07 Indiana 11.15 11,294
08 North Dakota 10.98 1,269
09 New Hampshire 10.79 1,774
10 Connecticut 10.29 5,090
11 Rhode Island 9.95 1,337
12 South Dakota 9.39 1,301
13 Nebraska 9.17 2,840
14 Illinois 8.78 15,585
15 Oregon 8.62 4,762
16 Delaware 8.03 1,117
17 Ohio 7.79 12,742
18 Texas 7.60 39,911
19 Missouri 7.47 6,401
20 Michigan 7.38 10,245
21 Virginia 7.08 8,676
22 New York 6.73 16,536
23 Wyoming 6.49 595
24 District of Columbia 6.46 511
25 Mississippi 6.31 2,726
26 Kentucky 6.17 3,910
27 Arizona 6.09 6,781
28 New Mexico 5.81 1,771
29 Alaska 5.73 731
30 Colorado 5.62 4,710
31 Maryland 5.49 4,717
32 Oklahoma 5.43 3,603
33 Montana 5.27 789
34 Georgia 5.17 8,792
35 Kansas 4.94 2,290
36 New Jersey 4.75 6,226
37 Washington 4.62 4,939
38 Hawaii 4.55 768
39 Idaho 4.08 1,280
40 Florida 4.01 11,263
41 Nevada 3.86 1,823
42 California 3.69 21,573
43 Tennessee 3.31 3,224
44 West Virginia 3.22 761
45 North Carolina 2.93 4,439
46 South Carolina 2.47 1,886
47 Louisiana 2.45 1,700
48 Utah 2.38 1,610
49 Arkansas 2.04 970
50 Alabama 1.55 1,127
51 Iowa * *
52 National 6.67 320,828

Youth with MDE Who Reported Treatment or Counseling Helped Them 2024

 
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Youth with MDE Who Reported Treatment or Counseling Helped Them

Nationally, 65.0% of youth with MDE who received mental health treatment or counseling reported that it helped them at least “some.” Only a little over a third (36%) reported it helped them “a lot” or “extremely.”

Quality of care for youth with MDE varied significantly from the highest ranked to lowest ranked states – there was a 52% difference in the percentage of youth reporting treatment or counseling helped them between the District of Columbia (ranked 1) and Iowa (ranked 49).

The state rate of youth with MDE reporting treatment helped them ranges from 84.60% in the District of Columbia to 32.50% in Iowa.

This includes youth with MDE who received treatment or counseling in the past year and answered the question, “During the past 12 months, how much has treatment or counseling helped you?” with “some,” “a lot,” or “extremely.” Data for South Carolina and South Dakota were suppressed due to limited sample sizes. Due to data suppression in these two states, this indicator was not included in the overall rankings. 

Rank State Percentage Number
01 District of Columbia 84.60% 3,000
02 Montana 84.50% 8,000
03 New Hampshire 82.60% 8,000
04 Arkansas 81.40% 14,000
05 Mississippi 78.80% 13,000
06 Maine 78.40% 8,000
07 Colorado 77.60% 42,000
08 Wisconsin 77.50% 28,000
09 New York 77.20% 77,000
10 Wyoming 77.00% 4,000
11 Alabama 75.60% 21,000
12 Vermont 75.60% 2,000
13 Minnesota 75.30% 30,000
14 Indiana 73.30% 20,000
15 Washington 72.70% 48,000
16 New Mexico 71.70% 9,000
17 New Jersey 70.60% 35,000
18 North Carolina 70.20% 52,000
19 Florida 70.10% 103,000
20 Tennessee 68.10% 26,000
21 Idaho 67.70% 9,000
22 California 66.80% 134,000
23 Illinois 66.80% 78,000
24 Georgia 66.30% 38,000
25 North Dakota 64.80% 3,000
26 Pennsylvania 64.50% 57,000
27 Texas 64.30% 79,000
28 Oklahoma 63.80% 13,000
29 West Virginia 62.70% 6,000
30 Maryland 61.90% 34,000
31 Michigan 61.60% 33,000
32 Louisiana 61.30% 28,000
33 Virginia 59.20% 33,000
34 Utah 58.70% 13,000
35 Delaware 58.50% 4,000
36 Kansas 58.20% 8,000
37 Ohio 57.10% 47,000
38 Kentucky 56.60% 14,000
39 Alaska 55.10% 2,000
40 Oregon 54.60% 22,000
41 Rhode Island 54.10% 3,000
42 Massachusetts 53.90% 22,000
43 Nevada 51.70% 8,000
44 Nebraska 48.10% 6,000
45 Arizona 44.30% 21,000
46 Connecticut 42.60% 9,000
47 Hawaii 38.60% 1,000
48 Missouri 36.50% 16,000
49 Iowa 32.50% 8,000
50 South Carolina * *
51 South Dakota * *
52 National 65.00% 1,301,000

Youth (Ages 6-17) Flourishing 2024

 
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Youth (Ages 6-17) Flourishing

Only 60.5% of youth ages 6-17 across the U.S. meet all three criteria for flourishing. 

The state prevalence of youth flourishing ranges from 67.30% in Georgia to 54.30% in Kentucky.

Flourishing is determined as a positive indicator of mental health and wellbeing by the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Maternal and Child Health Bureau. The criteria for flourishing were designed to assess children and adolescents’ learning, resilience, and self-regulation. Youth who were flourishing were those who always or usually showed interest and curiosity in learning new things, work to finish tasks they started, and stayed calm and in control when faced with a challenge. 

Rank State Percentage Number
01 Georgia 67.30% 1,140,135
02 Illinois 65.10% 1,227,071
03 Hawaii 64.80% 128,879
04 New Mexico 64.00% 209,545
05 Kansas 63.00% 300,226
06 Mississippi 63.00% 297,462
07 Nebraska 63.00% 200,239
08 California 62.70% 3,729,267
09 Connecticut 62.70% 314,841
10 Massachusetts 62.30% 573,969
11 Maryland 62.10% 558,711
12 South Dakota 62.10% 90,027
13 Minnesota 61.80% 544,795
14 New Jersey 61.80% 816,222
15 Iowa 61.60% 300,447
16 Florida 61.20% 1,759,625
17 Wisconsin 61.20% 529,575
18 New York 60.80% 1,612,253
19 Ohio 60.70% 1,059,324
20 Michigan 60.60% 873,500
21 Texas 60.60% 3,058,797
22 Pennsylvania 60.40% 1,086,892
23 Wyoming 60.30% 55,957
24 South Carolina 59.90% 461,746
25 West Virginia 59.70% 147,572
26 Nevada 59.60% 278,526
27 Arizona 59.50% 659,292
28 New Hampshire 59.50% 105,697
29 District of Columbia 59.40% 44,019
30 Rhode Island 59.10% 82,001
31 Virginia 59.00% 739,666
32 Delaware 58.60% 81,622
33 Louisiana 58.10% 416,806
34 North Dakota 58.00% 68,132
35 North Carolina 57.90% 911,184
36 Tennessee 57.60% 590,681
37 Oklahoma 57.30% 367,068
38 Utah 57.30% 367,698
39 Alaska 57.20% 67,381
40 Indiana 57.00% 604,001
41 Missouri 57.00% 529,779
42 Idaho 56.90% 178,277
43 Alabama 56.70% 420,313
44 Colorado 56.70% 484,277
45 Montana 56.50% 90,594
46 Arkansas 56.00% 267,516
47 Vermont 55.20% 44,448
48 Washington 54.80% 611,376
49 Maine 54.40% 91,980
50 Oregon 54.40% 319,747
51 Kentucky 54.30% 364,150
52 National 60.50% 29,863,306