Mental Health Facts
CHILDREN & TEENS
Fact: 1 in 5 children ages 13-18 have, or will have a serious mental illness.
Heading 1
Suicide is the 3rd
leading cause of
death in youth
ages 10 - 24.
3rd
Suicide
50% of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by age 14 and 75% by age 24
50%
Impact
8% of youth have
an anxiety disorder
10% of youth have
a behavior
or conduct disorder
11% of youth have
a mood disorder
20% of youth ages
13-18
live with a mental health condition.
8%
10%
11%
20%
10yrs
The average delay between onset of symptoms
and intervention is 8-10 years.
90%
90% of those who
died by suicide had
an underlying
mental illness.
37%
37% of students with a mental health condition age 14 and older drop out of school—the highest dropout rate of any disability group.
70%
70% of youth in state and local juvenile justice systems have a mental illness.
Warning Signs
Feeling very sad or withdrawn for more than 2 weeks (e.g., crying regularly, feeling fatigued, feeling unmotivated).
Trying to harm or kill oneself or making plans to do so.
Out-of-control, risk-taking behaviors that can cause harm to self or others.
Sudden overwhelming fear for no reason, sometimes with a racing heart, physical discomfort or fast breathing.
Not eating, throwing up or using laxatives to lose weight; significant weight loss or gain.
Severe mood swings that cause problems in relationships.
Repeated use of drugs or alcohol.
Drastic changes in behavior, personality or sleeping habits (e.g., waking up early and acting agitated).
Extreme difficulty in concentrating or staying still that can lead to failure in school.
Intense worries or fears that get in the way of daily activities like hanging out with friends or going to classes.
4 Things Parents Can Do
Talk with
your Doctor
Get a referral to
a mental health specialist
Connect with other families
Work with the school
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
1-800-273-8255
The Lifeline (@800273TALK) · Twitter
The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals.
The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning youth.
The Trevor Hotline is 24/7 on the Trevor Lifeline (1-866-488-7386) – that means all day and night, every weekend, each holiday, and beyond.
National Alliance for Mental Illness
CALL THE NAMI HELPLINE
800-950-NAMIinfo@nami.org
M-F, 10 AM – 6 PM ET
FIND HELP IN A CRISIS
OR TEXT
“NAMI” TO 741741
National Runaway Switchboard: 1-800-RUNAWAY (1-800-786-2929)
24/7 crisis support and resources for runaway and homeless youth
Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-25-ABUSE (1-800-252-2873)
24/7 Illinois DCFS hotline to report child abuse or neglect
Between Friends: 1-800-603-HELP (1-800-603-4357)
24/7 domestic violence crisis line
Chicago Rape Crisis Hotline: 1-888-293-2080
24/7 Chicago rape hotline for survivors of sexual violence and and their significant others.
Cook County Jail Mental Health Hotline: 773-674-CARE (773-674-2273)
24/7 resource for families and friends of currently incarcerated inmates living with mental illness who are in need of special treatment and/or medication while in the Cook County Jail.
Not in crisis, but need someone to talk to?
Illinois Warm Line (866) 359-7953
Peer and family mental health support by phone, weekdays M - F 9 am – 5 pm
Looking for local resources and services?
NAMI Chicago information & referral helpline: 833-NAMI-CHI (833-626-4244)
Compassionate support and personalized referrals Monday - Friday 9am – 8pm,
Saturday 9am - 1pm