Publications in Journal of Human Resources

Increases in mental health diagnoses and suicidal behaviors in emergency departments (ED) are often cited as evidence of an accelerating child mental health crisis. We ask whether trends in ED visits provide an accurate picture of changes in US child mental health. These measures have been profoundly affected by changing conventions about screening, defining, and coding of mental illness. We conclude that child mental health has been deteriorating, but not by the startling magnitudes suggested by jumps and trends in some measures, such as suicidal ideation. Although reported suicidal behaviors rose 228 percent from 2006 to 2021, the true rise in mental health disorders is unlikely to exceed the 66 percent rise in youth suicide observed over the same period.

This special issue of the Journal of Human Resources showcases an emerging literature on the economics of child mental health. Until recently, the severe stigma associated with mental health issues meant that few people felt comfortable talking about them or realized how very prevalent they are (Bharadwaj, Pai, and Suziedelyte 2017). Arguably, this changed with the COVID-19 pandemic, which precipitated widespread discussions of a child and youth mental health crisis (United States Public Health Service, Office of the Surgeon General 2021).