Increasing the dialogue among stakeholders in New Jersey’s special education system

Snapshot: Student Mental Health Incidence and Availability of Therapeutic Staff

Jun 14, 2022 | Snapshot

  1. Nearly one in three parents (31%) nationwide report that their child’s emotional health is worse than before the pandemic. (School Mental Health Report Card)
  2. In 2020, the proportion of mental health-related emergency room visits for children ages 5-11 and 12-17 increased by 24% and 31% respectively. (School Mental Health Report Card)
  3. In 2019, one third of high school students reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, an increase of 40% from 2009 (hopefulfutures.us)
  4. According to NAMI, many mental health conditions first appear in youth and young adults, with 50% of all conditions beginning by age 14 and 75% by age 24.
  5. According to the NIH, suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for youth ages 10-34 (https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/suicide)
  6. New Jersey ranks 7th in the nation in overall state rank for Youth Mental Health Services, according to America’s School Mental Health Report Card.
  7. In New Jersey, 12.7 % of children (86,000) experienced a major depressive disorder in the past year. 58% of these children (42,000) did not receive treatment.
  8. In New Jersey, there is one school psychologist for every 731 students. The recommended ratio is 1 school psychologist for every 500 students.
  9. In New Jersey, there is one school counselor for every 358 students. The recommended ratio is 1 school counselor for every 250 students.
  10. In New Jersey, there is one school social worker to ever 655 students. The recommended ratio is 1 school social worker for every 250 students.