Rising U.S. Prevalence Of Childhood Behavioral Health Problems Linked To Poor Caregiver Mental Health

The rising prevalence of childhood behavioral health problems is associated with a higher prevalence of caregivers who have poor mental health themselves. The association was noted in a study that analyzed data from the National Survey of Children’s Health from 2019 through 2022. Compared to caregivers who ranked their mental and emotional health as “excellent,” those who ranked their mental health as “good,” fair,” or “poor” were two to four times more likely to have a child with severe behavioral issues, attention deficit disorder (ADD), or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Caregivers who ranked their mental health as “good . . .