Updated: February, 2024

Author: Department of Health and Department of Mental Health

This data is in the analysis process. Please check back soon.

This indicator, or population measure, is part of our Healthy Vermonters 2030 data set. Read more about how this data helps us understand and improve the well-being of people in Vermont on the Healthy Vermonters 2030 webpage.

Because this data is meant to show how the health of our state changes during the decade from 2020-2030, some indicators may have very few data points for now. Keep checking back to see the progress our public health system and partners are making.

We want to see an increase in the percent of children and youth who get needed treatment for mental health conditions by 2030. Because this is a new measure for us, we don’t know much about past performance at this time.

Increasing treatment for youth with depression is a Healthy People 2030 Leading Health Indicator. It is a high priority objective to drive action toward improving overall health and well-being.

Looking for more data?

• See the corresponding national Healthy People 2030 objective: The proportion of youth with major depressive episodes getting treatment. (note the specific population of adolescents with depression (MDE) which is different than our Vermont version of children and youth with any mental health condition).

Receiving treatment for mental health conditions is an important contributor to better overall mental and physical well-being. Whether children and youth are getting the treatment they need may have an impact on their overall mental well-being.

Children and adolescents have unique needs around their mental wellness and the prevention of mental illness. Children are not simply “little adults.” Human development is marked by periods of rapid change, especially between birth and age six. Children’s brains continue to grow and develop rapidly and are affected by biological, social, and environmental factors especially within the family system. Early efforts to promote the healthy emotional and social development of children and their family members can have tremendous benefits for children in the long-term. These benefits include school readiness, academic success, choosing healthy behaviors, positive peer/family relationships, and positive involvement in their community.

Based on the 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey report, we know that youth in middle and high school do experience poor mental health at rates much higher than we would like to see.

• Middle school: more than two in ten said their mental health was not good most of the time or always. And roughly a quarter (26%) sometimes experienced poor mental health (pg. 176).
• High school: a third of students reported their mental health was not good either always (11%) or most of the time (24%) (pg. 46). 

Understanding whether children and youth with mental health conditions across Vermont are receiving treatment is important to know how to improve access to, use of, and the effectiveness of our mental health systems of care.

Although we don’t have specific data to show whether different groups of people are having different experiences accessing and receiving mental health treatment, we do know about youth experiencing poor mental health.

Based on the 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) report, we know that different groups of youth experience poor mental health more than others. For example, students who are Black, Indigenous, or people of color (BIPOC) or those who identify as LGBTQ+ are more likely to experience poor mental health at least most of the time compared to their counterparts who identify as white or heterosexual cisgender.

The 2021 data also show that high school and middle school students who are BIPOC or identify as LGBTQ+ are also less likely to have at least one teacher or adult in their school that they can talk to if they have a problem.

The YRBS data helps tell a more complete story about the mental well-being of youth in Vermont. The groups of youth who are more often experiencing poor mental health are the same groups that are marginalized, discriminated against, and who are less likely to see peers, educators, and mental health providers who look like them, identify in the same way they do, or understand how they may experience life differently than other students.

Because mental health impacts so many aspects of life, discrimination, isolation, and having fewer trusted adults are especially important considerations when working to increase the use of mental health treatment by youth. Ensuring that access to mental health treatment is equitable is an essential strategy to improve the overall well-being of people in Vermont. 

The Department of Mental Health along with the full system of partners and providers who provide a spectrum of mental health treatment services all have a role to play in increasing mental health treatment for children and youth. The network of Designated and Specialized Services Agencies, private mental health providers, and primary care providers offer services to people in Vermont with any mental health condition. Many of these entities are supported in different ways by the Department of Mental Health, the Department of Vermont Health Access, and the Department of Health.

There are several important ways to help us improve access to mental health treatment, reduce stigma, and remove barriers to effective care. One way is to ensure holistic and coordinated care through team-based care, Community Rehabilitation and Treatment Services, other community health supports, and the overall integration of mental health services into a holistic healthcare system. Also important is ensuring an adequate number of mental health treatment providers in Vermont.

This data comes from the Medicaid Claims, Vermont Health Care Uniform Reporting and Evaluation System (VHCURES).