Definition: Estimated percentage of children with special health care needs (CSHCN) ages 3-17 who have received mental health treatment or counseling in the previous 12 months, among those with a current diagnosis of attention deficit disorder (ADD) or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety problems, behavioral or conduct problems, or depression (e.g., in 2024, 60.1% of California CSHCN with behavioral or mental health conditions had received treatment or counseling in the previous year).
Data Source: U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, National Survey of Children's Health (Nov. 2025).
Footnote: Children with special health care needs (CSHCN) have or are at increased risk for a chronic physical, developmental, behavioral, or emotional condition and require health and related services of a type or amount beyond that required by children generally. Percentages are calculated on the basis of all CSHCN ages 3-17 with emotional or behavioral conditions, including those who did not need mental health services in the previous year. These estimates are based on a survey of the population and are subject to both sampling and nonsampling error. The annotation [!] indicates that the margin of error for the estimate is greater than 5 percentage points but less than 10 percentage points. For more information, see https://www.childhealthdata.org/learn-about-the-nsch/NSCH.
