Few depressed teens getting treatment, study finds
The lowest odds of receiving specialist treatment were found among adolescents who identify as male, are Black, live in rural areas, or do not have insurance
Fewer than half of all adolescents with major depressive episode (MDE) received mental health care in the US in 2022, with the odds of specialist treatment being even lower among marginalized groups, according to a new study published this week in the open-access journal PLOS Mental Health by Su Chen Tan and colleagues at University of Tennessee, USA.
The prevalence of adolescent depression has increased following the COVID-19 pandemic and is often under-treated. Depression experienced during adolescence can be linked to more severe social and psychological consequences compared to depression that begins in adulthood. Early recognition and interventions are necessary to prevent long-lasting negative educational, health, and social outcomes.
In the new study, researchers analyzed data from 12–17-year-olds as part of the the 2022 U.S. National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Of the 11,969 respondents, 2,283 (19.2%) met the diagnostic criteria for MDE.
Of those with MDE, 47.5% had reported receiving some form of treatment, 39.1% had received specialist clinician treatment, 30.5% received school-based services, and 25.0% received prescription services. In addition to the low levels of mental health service use. there were also significant sociodemographic disparities. Adolescents in rural areas had significantly lower odds of receiving specialist treatment compared to their urban counterparts (AOR 0.64, 95% CI 0.47-0.87). In addition, females had greater odds and Black adolescents significantly lower odds of utilizing any mental health treatment relative to males and non-Hispanic White adolescents, respectively (Females: AOR 1.59, 95% CI 1.11-2.28; Black: AOR 0.36, 95% CI 0.22-0.59).
“Addressing the disparities in mental health treatment revealed by this study is crucial for ensuring a more inclusive and equitable mental health support system for all adolescents,” the authors say.
In your coverage please use this URL to provide access to the freely available article in PLOS Mental Health: https://plos.io/4fHzoz9
Citation: Tan SC, Hunt K, Shelton B (2025) Disparities in mental health service utilization among adolescents with depression: Results from a 2022 U.S. National Survey. PLOS Ment Health 2(8): e0000388. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmen.0000388
Author Countries: United States
Funding: This work was supported by NSF grant DBI 2412115 as part of the US NSF Center for Analysis and Prediction of Pandemic Expansion (APPEX).
Journal
PLOS Mental Health
Method of Research
Observational study
Subject of Research
People
Article Publication Date
20-Aug-2025
Family socioeconomic position and eating disorder symptoms across adolescence
JAMA Network Open
About The Study:
This cohort study using Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children data found that eating disorder symptoms were more common in individuals experiencing socioeconomic deprivation. Potential socioeconomic inequalities in eating disorder presentation and diagnosis in clinical settings require further investigation. Reducing population-level socioeconomic inequalities could also aid eating disorder prevention.
Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Jane S. Hahn, MSc, email Sungmin.hahn.19@ucl.ac.uk.
To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/
(doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.27934)
Editor’s Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support.
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About JAMA Network Open: JAMA Network Open is an online-only open access general medical journal from the JAMA Network. On weekdays, the journal publishes peer-reviewed clinical research and commentary in more than 40 medical and health subject areas. Every article is free online from the day of publication.
Journal
JAMA Network Open
What are the impacts of acute and chronic stress on mental health?
Understanding these differences may help develop more effective approaches to preventing and treating mental disorders such as anxiety and depression
A study analyses the negative effects of stress on the brains of male and female rats and concludes that acute stress induces anxiety-like behaviors, especially in males, while chronic stress is moreassociated with depressive symptoms. Understanding these differences may help develop more effective approaches to preventing and treating mental disorders such as anxiety and depression.
It is well established that stress can increase susceptibility to various neuropsychiatric disorders, such as depression and anxiety, which are highly prevalent worldwide and represent a significant economic burden and public health issue in our society. The World Health Organization estimated that in 2019, around 970 million people globally - one in eight - suffered from a mental disorder.
Evidence also points to sex differences in the prevalence of and responses to stress. In fact, while women account for two-thirds of patients with stress-related disorders, another indicator shows that more than two-thirds of suicide victims are men.
Although stress is a part of life and, in small doses, can even be beneficial, excessive exposure, whether acute or chronic, can have profound negative effects, especially on the brain, potentially leading to cerebrovascular diseases. One of the most sensitive targets of excessive stress is the blood-brain barrier, a structure that protects the brain from potentially harmful substances.
However, despite evidence suggesting that different types of stress can compromise its integrity and trigger neuroinflammatory responses associated with various neurological conditions, the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying these effects remain poorly understood.
In the article “Distinct behavioural and neurovascular signatures induced by acute and chronic stress in rats”, published in September in the scientific journal Behavioural Brain Research, a research team from the University of Coimbra, led by Ana Paula Silva, sought to clarify this issue by analysing the effects of acute and chronic stress in rodents.
With support from the BIAL Foundation, the researchers used open field and forced swimming tests to assess locomotor activity and anxiety- and depression-like behaviors in male and female Wistar rats.
The results showed that acute stress induces anxiety-like behaviors, especially in males, while chronic stress is more associated with depressive symptoms. Additionally, changes were observed in key proteins of the blood-brain barrier, with significant sex differences.
The research confirmed that acute stress and so-called chronic mild unpredictable stress induce distinct behavioural and biochemical profiles, highlighting the importance of differentiating stress types and considering biological variables, such as sex, in neuroscience research.
“Our study shows how important it is to understand the differences between types of stress to better grasp the causes of mental disorders like anxiety and depression, and to find more effective ways to prevent and treat these issues”, explains Ana Paula Silva.
Learn more about the project “73/20 - Cerebrovascular hypothesis of stress-induced behavioural alterations” here.
Journal
Behavioural Brain Research
Method of Research
Experimental study
Subject of Research
Animals
Article Title
Distinct behavioural and neurovascular signatures induced by acute and chronic stress in rats
Article Publication Date
13-Sep-2025
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