OCMH Senior Research Analyst Amy Marsman spotlights recent articles, resources, and research findings impacting youth mental health.
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Losing A Parent Doubles Rates Of Mental Health Problems Among Children
According to reporting from US News & World Report, losing a parent to death, imprisonment or separation all dramatically increases the risk of mental health problems among kids and teens. A research study from Australia found that overall, about 22% of children who lose a parent for any reason develop a diagnosable disorder, compared to 11% of children with both parents, the study found. About 29% of children who lost a parent to death developed a mental health problem, followed by 22% of those with a parent in custody, and 20% of those whose parents separated. The rate of mental health disorder was even higher in 4- to 11-year-olds who lost a parent to death, topping 38%.
Trauma Screenings and Scheduling Assessments for Children
Two thirds of children report having experienced at least one traumatic event by age 16. Unchecked, exposure to traumatic events or adverse childhood experiences can have acute, short-term, and long-term deleterious effects on well-being. Screening for exposure to and effects of traumatic events is widely endorsed and considered essential to the treatment of traumatized children but the extent to which it informs scheduling of assessments has not been fully investigated.
This cross-sectional study examined trauma screenings conducted at intake retrospectively to determine the relationship between screenings of exposure to traumatic events and symptoms as reported by caregivers and subsequent scheduling of assessment by intake workers at community agencies providing mental health services. The type of traumatic events experienced appear to have carried greater weight in decision to schedule an assessment. Being military connected was a significant predictor of being scheduled for an assessment more than experiencing traumatic events or symptoms.
Youth Mental Health in a Digital Age: State Policy Trends
The National Conference of State Legislatures released a report on state policy trends on social media.
They found that social media and digital technologies are deeply embedded in young people’s daily lives, shaping how they learn, connect, seek information, and manage stress.
While these technologies can support connection, creativity, and access to information, research also links heavy use to anxiety, social comparison, sleep disruption, and greater exposure to harmful content. Research suggests certain patterns of social media use and screen engagement may result in a heightened risk for mental health challenges. At the same time, many young people report meaningful benefits from digital platforms.
The report shares that states are pursuing policy approaches to prevent and address potential harms, strengthen protections, and support healthy technology use, including social media and AI safeguards, school-based technology policies, and digital literacy efforts.
teenTALK: Report on the Impact of Social Media on Student Mental Health
Drawing on teenTALK roundtables with youth in Pennsylvania, this report shares youth perspectives on social media and explores how emerging technologies like artificial intelligence are shaping student well‑being and family dynamics. It highlights opportunities for families, schools, and communities to strengthen connections and prevent harm by addressing risks such as cyberbullying, mental health challenges, and unhealthy digital use. The report offers prevention‑focused, cross‑system strategies to promote child and family safety, support digital literacy, and build healthier, community‑based approaches to youth well‑being.
Youth Mental Health in the AI Era
Two reports on AI and youth mental health are available from the Youth Mental Health Tracker and Surgo Health.
Why Context Matters More Than Technology covers Generative AI, which is becoming ubiquitous and is regularly used by young people. Despite this, frequency of use alone doesn’t tell the full story about risk or benefit. Drawing on nationally representative data from youth ages 13-24, this study finds that young people engage with AI in six distinct patterns. Some youth use AI as a tool for growth and opportunity, others turn to it to cope with stress or isolation, while others still worry about its wider impacts on society. These differences are not only driven by technology. Instead, how young people use AI reflects deeper conditions already shaping their lives, including exposure to stress and discrimination, access to supportive relationships, and differences in emotional regulation and coping.
How GenAI Enters Help-Seeking Pathways addresses generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools. These technologies that create content like texts, images, music, or videos in response to individual prompts. They have become more accessible and youth are using them for a wide range of purposes, including identity exploration, AI companionship, school and career decisions, relationship questions, and emotional processing.
Drawing on nationally representative data from youth ages 13–24, Surgo Health finds that within this broader landscape, a distinct subset of youth report turning to these general purpose technologies to discuss mental health concerns. GenAI can provide short-term emotional relief for some – but – particularly for youth facing the greatest barriers to professional care, this use risks becoming an unregulated substitute in the absence of clear guardrails, pathways to trusted adults or professional support, and oversight.
New Data Available in Child Welfare Interactive Data Tool
Child Trends has updated its Child Welfare Data Interactive with 2025 national and state data. The interactive is a data tool that allows users to examine state and national child welfare data on foster care, kinship caregiving, permanency, and older youth in foster care, along with information on national trends and profiles for all 50 states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico. Users can now toggle between four years of data (federal fiscal years [FFY] 2022–2025). In FFY 2025, almost one third of young ages 13-17 are living in a group home or institution (also known as congregate care), the most restrictive type of placement.
Child and Adolescent Injury and Violence Prevention: Locating and Using the Data
Nearly 43,000 children and adolescents aged 0-19 died in the U.S. in 2023, and more than one-third of those deaths (37.1%) were attributed to injuries and violence. Injury deaths have a profound and lasting effect on the children’s families, while also generating broader societal repercussions that extend across communities and public systems.
Given the toll of injury and violence, data are important tools for public health practitioners and professionals to help define the extent and types of injury and violence that are occurring, decide where we need to concentrate our prevention efforts, and compare the injury and violence trends and patterns in one community with that in other communities.
Developed by the Children's Safety Now Alliance and the Children's Safety Network, this resource equips child welfare and public health leaders with actionable data to strengthen families and prevent child maltreatment by identifying injury and violence risks early. By highlighting accessible, cost‑effective national data sources, the guide reinforces how coordinated, data‑driven action across systems can reduce harm and build safer environments where children and families can thrive.
Financial Stressors and Suicide
Financial strain is associated with suicide risk; however, no research has examined financial stressors in the year preceding suicide using national credit data. This study of 17,000 veterans found that delinquent mortgage payments, repossessions, late credit card payments, and lower credit scores were associated with higher odds of suicide. Cumulative financial stressors and declining credit scores had the largest associations with suicide. Findings suggest the need to address financial well-being as a component of suicide prevention. See related OCMH Fact Sheet on Financial Hardship and Children’s Mental Health.
GAO Reports on Capacity and Federal Assessment of the 988 Lifeline
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report on the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (988 Lifeline). The 988 Lifeline is a network of independent crisis contact centers that answer calls, texts, and chats from people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. About 19.1 million calls, texts, and chats were routed to crisis contact centers from July 2022 through September 2025. During that time, call volume increased by about 87%, text volume by about 260%, and chat volume by about 23%.
As of March 2026, calls are generally routed to local crisis contact centers based on callers’ approximate location. In contrast, texts and chats are routed based on individuals’ area codes or zip codes. SAMHSA plans to begin routing texts based on approximate location by April 2027, in accordance with a Federal Communications Commission rule.
See report highlights or full report for further details.
New NSCH Data Briefs
The Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) released two data briefs based on data from the National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH), which is the largest national- and state-level survey on the health and health care needs of children ages 0-17, their families, and their communities.
Youth Sports Participation, 2023 – 2024: This data brief describes participation in youth sports as reported on the NSCH and the relationship between sports and physical activity, healthy behaviors, and health conditions. Regular physical activity is associated with improved health outcomes among youth. Increasing participation in organized sports may help more youth meet physical activity recommendations with physical, mental, and social-emotional health benefits.
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Prevalence and Health Care Access, 2024: This data brief presents 2024 NSCH data on children ages 3-17 and compares health care service use and barriers to health care between children with and without a current ADHD diagnosis. ADHD is associated with increased risk for chronic diseases, other health conditions, and mortality across the lifespan. The prevalence of diagnosed ADHD among children has increased over time while prevalence of treatment has declined; estimates vary by age, sex, and treatment type. Children with ADHD may need more health care services than children without ADHD.
Significant Association Between Emergency Department Visits for Firearm and Motor Vehicle-related Crashes
A quarter of children and adolescent patients treated in an emergency department for firearm injuries had been treated in a prior visit for injuries caused by a motor vehicle crash or other violent incident, according to research out of Wisconsin.
Researchers from Children’s Wisconsin and the Medical College of Wisconsin said the significant association between types of injuries could indicate a pattern of risky behaviors. “Our study reveals a troubling pattern: nearly one in four children with firearm injuries return to the emergency room with another violent or crash-related injury within just four years. These aren’t random events—they’re interconnected.”
The study examined 2,614 emergency department visits for violent injuries or motor vehicle crashes involving children and adolescents ages 0-17 from 2018 to 2022. The findings could help inform violence prevention efforts. See related story of how the findings might impact violence prevention efforts in Milwaukee.
Increasing Child Hunger
According to the RAPID Survey Project, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) canceled the long-running annual Household Food Security Report in September 2025. For 30 years this report tracked Americans’ hunger and food access to inform policies. In the absence of that government data, RAPID continues to be an important source of information on this topic, tracking reported food security among surveyed families nationally, and sharing timely, actionable insights that can inform policies and programs.
This issue brief presents average rates of food insecurity among surveyed families with children under age 6 from August 2025 to January 2026. See related OCMH Data Bite on increasing child hunger among Wisconsin kids.
Rural Schools Context Shapes SEL Implementation
Social and emotional learning (SEL) is critical for student success, yet its implementation may vary across different school contexts in the U.S. This study investigated differences in SEL program usage, the integration of SEL into academic instruction, and perceived facilitators and barriers among K–12 teachers in rural, suburban, and urban schools. A cross-sectional design was used to analyze nationally representative survey data from 3,897 U.S. public school teachers.
Analyses revealed a consistent pattern: compared to teachers in urban and suburban schools, teachers in rural schools reported significantly less use of commercial and school-developed SEL programs, lower rates of integration of SEL into academic instruction, and fewer institutional supports (e.g., SEL-related school improvement plans, professional development opportunities). Furthermore, teachers in rural settings reported significantly greater barriers to implementation, including lack of funding for SEL, insufficient SEL-related resources, and the perception that SEL was not a district priority, compared to those in urban and suburban settings.
These findings highlight a systemic resource and priority gap that positions students in rural schools for inequitable access to social and emotional development opportunities. Results underscore a critical need for targeted policies, funding, and professional development to build capacity and support high-quality SEL in rural educational contexts.
Can Wristbands Reduce Childbirth Risks?
KFF reported on one state’s initiative of giving wristbands to new moms that say “I Gave Birth.” Hospitals provide a wristband to patients who have given birth and instruct them to wear it for weeks or months, hoping they’ll be reminded to check in with a physician if they have issues. The state estimated the wristbands reduced postpartum readmissions by nearly a third. Some say the wristbands help celebrate childbirth and could help encourage emotional support in the postpartum period. Those who faced traumatic births or postpartum mental health struggles could see the wristband as a painful reminder.
Many wristband campaigns have recently launched and their impact has yet to be studied. Without additional research, it’s unclear how effective the wristbands are in encouraging postpartum patients to seek care when they need it and for whom they are most effective.
Wristband campaigns may grow in importance given the federal cuts to maternal health research, data collection, and healthcare. Medicaid, the federal-state program that covers healthcare for low-income families, pays for at least 40% of births nationwide. A recent report warned that states are setting up systems that may not adequately track pregnant and postpartum moms who should be exempt from Medicaid’s new work requirements, erroneously dropping them from coverage.
Addressing Decreasing Access to Maternal Health Care in Rural Wisconsin
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) released an issue brief on rural maternal health. Rural Maternal Health is Everyone’s Concern covers the importance of addressing decreasing access to maternal health care in rural Wisconsin. Noting recent rural hospital closures and maternity care deserts in the state – which are concentrated in rural and Tribal communities but can be felt statewide – the brief maps the maternity care deserts along with counties with low to moderate access. The brief also includes recommendations and a list of organizations working to support rural health.
Improving Screening for Adolescent Substance Use and Mental Health in Primary Care
A nationwide quality improvement initiative resulted in significant increases in screening and follow-up care for adolescent substance use and mental health concerns across pediatric primary care clinics.
The study examined the Transformative and Evidence-based Approaches to Mental Health and Substance Use Screening (TEAMSS) collaborative which engaged 160 clinicians at 27 pediatric primary care clinics across 18 states. The project aimed to strengthen screening, brief interventions, and follow-up practices for adolescents ages 12 to 18 during routine health visits. Researchers found substantial improvements over the 11-month initiative:
- Substance use screening increased from 35% to 75% of adolescent well visits.
- Depression screening increased from 82% to 90%.
- Anxiety screening increased from 32% to 69%.
- Suicide risk screening increased from 18% to 41%.
The researchers concluded that TEAMSS significantly improved care for substance use, depression, anxiety, and suicide risk for adolescents at participating primary care clinics.
Brain Stimulation Therapies for Serious Mental Illness
There is a growing evidence base on the effectiveness of brain stimulation therapies to treat individuals with serious mental illness (SMI). However, access to these innovative interventions remains highly uneven. Structural barriers related to infrastructure, workforce training, insurance coverage, and regulatory complexity have restricted the availability of brain stimulation therapies. As a result, many individuals with SMI are unable to access treatments that could improve their lives.
This paper briefly outlines the scientific rationale for brain circuit–based care, reviews the evidence for key interventions, and identifies barriers to implementation within public systems. It also proposes a policy framework for state-level action, including infrastructure development, workforce training, and financing strategies to support scalable access.
Sleep Boosts Academic and Social Success – and May Matter More than Screen Time, Exercise, or Diet
A new UC Davis Health study published in Psychological Medicine suggests that when it comes to helping adolescents succeed in school and maintain healthy friendships, sleep may matter more than screen time, exercise, or diet. This was particularly true for youth experiencing anxiety, depression, or other mental health challenges. As reported here, the researchers used data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, and found that sleep was the strongest lifestyle factor linking mental health symptoms to lower grades, accounting for 18.5% of the association with depression, 36.3% with anxiety, and 8.3% with psychotic-like disturbances.
State of the Safety Net
The Urban Institute updated insights from their Safety Net Initiative. These new insights provide a snapshot of the number of people and families eligible for key safety net programs in each state and the share who receive benefits. The analyses also show the participation rate for those eligible. Wisconsin’s state snapshot shows the number of households, children, and adults eligible for various safety net programs, including housing assistance and nutrition assistance, both of which impact children’s mental health.
A Digital Divide in American Adolescence: American Teenagers Survey
Technology has played an outsized role in reshaping American adolescence. The 2026 American Teenagers Survey from the American Enterprise Institute’s Survey Center on American Life shows that a substantial number of teenagers (ages 13 to 17) are opting out of more traditional teen experiences. They do not regularly eat meals with their family, attend religious services, read, or spend time with friends. Many are still satisfied with their lives even as they are pessimistic about the state of the country and express worries about their future. Gender, class, and digital divides are discussed.
Some relevant findings include:
- Many teenage experiences are less common than they once were—dating, working a part-time job, and experimenting with drugs and alcohol are less common experiences.
- When in need of help, 40% of teenagers say their mother is the person they usually turn to first when facing a personal problem. After their mothers, the next-most-common person that teens mention as a source of support is a friend. About one in four (24%) teens say they seek out a close friend first when confronting a challenging personal situation; 8% say they turn to a sibling, and only 6% report that they first come to their father for help with a personal problem. One in 10 teens say they do not have anyone to turn to for help managing a personal challenge.
- Most teenagers do not have grandiose aspirations for their lives but rather seek to prioritize stability and familiarity. Coming of age at a time of so much technological change and amid cultural upheaval and political uncertainty informs teenagers’ current outlook.
- Although teenagers are starting to recognize the problem of excessive screen time, many are not actively trying to set limits for themselves. This may not be an issue for everyone. Moderate social media use does not appear to jeopardize teenagers’ well-being, but heavy users report lower satisfaction with their lives.
Integrating Physical and Behavioral Health
A new federal report from SAMHSA (Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration) describes the evolving landscape of integrated care in the U.S., including established frameworks to address co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders with chronic physical illness.
Last year the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) reported on difficulties treating co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders in the Mental Health and Substance Use Services Gaps Analysis.
Key Milestones Harder for Today’s Young Adults to Reach
Growing shares of Americans say things are harder for young adults today than they were for their parents’ generation. A new Pew Research Center survey finds that majorities of Americans say young adults have it harder today financially than their parents’ generation did. Most adults (64%) say it’s harder for young people to find a job today; most (80%) say it’s harder for young adults to cover basic expenses; and most (87%) say buying a home is harder for young adults these days.
The shares of 21-year-olds who were employed full-time, were financially independent or lived outside their parents’ home were all lower in 2021 than in 1980. For example, 42% of 21-year-olds in 1980 were financially independent, compared with 25% in 2021.
Domestic Violence and Child Custody Proceedings: Children's Voices in Family Evaluations
This study was part of a larger research project which investigated post-separation violence, father-child relationships, and children’s participation in child custody and child protection proceedings in Canada. This article presents findings from a secondary data analysis. Overall, the research findings reveal that children's voices have been marginalized in the family evaluation process, as the evaluators gave little or no consideration to the children's wishes and feelings in their reports. In some cases, children's wishes and feelings have been dismissed and seen as irrational, particularly when the evaluators have concluded that they had been influenced by their mothers' alienating behaviours.
The research findings also show that family evaluators tend to interpret what children's needs are with little or no consideration to their perspectives, wishes, and feelings. These research findings raise important questions regarding custody evaluators' understanding of children's experiences in the context of domestic violence and the place that is given to their voices in this process.
OCMH Research and Data Resources
Key Facts in Youth Mental Health:
https://children.wi.gov/Pages/ResearchData/KeyFacts.aspx
Fact Sheets:
https://children.wi.gov/Pages/ResearchData/FactSheets.aspx
Data Sources:
https://children.wi.gov/Pages/Resources/DataSources.aspx
Research News in Youth Mental Health:
https://children.wi.gov/Pages/OCMHNewsletters.aspx
Youth Mental Health Initiatives:
https://children.wi.gov/Pages/Resources/ChildrensInitiatives.aspx
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