Home Mental Health Topics

Mental Health

New and noteworthy

Trends in Child and Adolescent Firearm Deaths

Over the past decade, nearly 22,000 youth ages 17 and younger died by firearm. This analysis examines the latest mortality data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to explore the impacts of gun violence on children and adolescents, including changes in death rates over time and by demographics.

Also: The Impact of Gun Violence on Youth Mental Health and Well-Being

At the Three-Year Mark, Demand for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Continues to Grow

New Federal Guidelines for Alcohol Use Come as Alcohol Deaths Remain Above Pre-Pandemic Levels

The Impact of Gun Violence on Children and Adolescents

Tracking Key Mental Health and Substance Use Policy Actions Under the Trump Administration

Key CDC Data

Access and coverage

  • Mental Health Parity at a Crossroads

    More than 25 years after the first federal mental health parity protections were put in place, adequate coverage for behavioral health care remains elusive. This brief explains the federal behavioral health parity requirements and sets out key policy issues.

  • Section 1115 Waiver Watch: Contingency Management

    Of the 800,000 Medicaid enrollees aged 12 to 64 with a diagnosed stimulant use disorder in 2019, about 20% were in states that now have approved 1115 Medicaid waivers for contingency management services.

  • The Landscape of School-Based Mental Health Services

    In the 2024-2025 school year, 18% of students utilized school-based mental health services. This issue brief explores the landscape of mental health services, including services offered, utilization, barriers, and funding, as well as recent federal actions.

  • 5 Key Facts about Medicaid Coverage for Adults with Mental Illness

    Nationwide, an estimated 52 million nonelderly adults live with mental illness, and Medicaid covers nearly one in three (29%) of them, or about 15 million adults.

  • What Federal Medicaid Cuts Could Mean for the Opioid Epidemic

    Medicaid covers 47% of all nonelderly adults with OUD and is the primary coverage source among those receiving treatment services. This brief offers a look at what federal Medicaid spending cuts could mean for this population.

Latest News

More KFF Health News

Subscribe to KFF Emails

Choose which emails are best for you.
Sign up here

View the Latest: Mental Health

Filter

List Grid

171 - 180 of 249 Results

  • Four in Ten Parents of School-Aged Children Say a Child Fell Behind Academically Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic

    News Release

    Four in Ten Parents Say Someone in Their Household Left a Job or Worked Fewer Hours to Care for Their Children, Including Higher Shares of Black, Hispanic, and Lower-income Parents As a result of the pandemic, about four in ten (39%) parents of school-aged children (ages 5-17) say at least one of their children fell behind academically, rising to half among parents with household incomes below $40,000 (51%) and Hispanic parents (50%), a new KFF…

  • Drug Overdose Deaths Rose During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Particularly Among Black and American Indian/Alaska Native People

    News Release

    Drug overdose deaths rose during the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic, with some of the biggest jumps occurring among people of color, a new KFF analysis finds. The analysis breaks out drug overdose deaths by race and ethnicity for the first nine months of 2020, when the pandemic triggered widespread shutdowns and job losses, to the same period in each of the two prior years. Between 2018 and 2020, drug overdose death rates increased…

  • Substance Use Issues Are Worsening Alongside Access to Care

    Policy Watch

    Drug overdose deaths rose during the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic, with some of the biggest jumps occurring among people of color. This analysis breaks out drug overdose deaths by race and ethnicity for the first nine months of 2020, to the same period in each of the two prior years. It also looks at access to care issues and recent and pending legislation aimed at addressing the nation’s substance use and mental health…

  • The Pandemic’s Impact on Children’s Mental Health

    News Release

    The pandemic has taken a heavy toll on the nation’s mental health, and a new issue brief shows that children are also facing worsening emotional and cognitive health. The brief examines factors contributing to worsening mental health and substance use outcomes among children and adolescents during the pandemic, looking closely at those who are at higher risk for negative mental health impacts, such as LGBTQ youth and children of color. A review of recent research…

  • Mental Health Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Update

    Poll Finding

    The latest KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor finds that those hardest hit by the mental health impacts of the coronavirus pandemic have been younger people and women, including mothers. This analysis of polling data explores who has been hardest hit by mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, how experience with COVID-19 related death and worry about getting sick impact mental health. It also explores problems with access to mental health care and treatment during the…

  • Vaccine Monitor: Women and Younger Adults Hit Hardest by Mental Health Impacts Due to COVID-19

    News Release

    Gender and age differences are revealed in a new analysis that finds nearly seven in ten (69%) young women ages 18 to 29 say the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted their mental health, compared to smaller shares of women who are older and men across all age groups. By mid-2020 about half (53%) of adults reported that worry and pandemic-related stress had negatively impacted their mental health. Now with millions of U.S. residents getting vaccinated…

  • KFF/Post Survey Reveals the Serious Mental Health Challenges Facing Frontline Health Care Workers a Year into the COVID-19 Pandemic

    News Release

    8 in 10 Say Potentially Being Exposed to COVID-19 at Work and Putting Family Members at Risk are Sources of Stress About 1 in 6 Tested Positive for COVID-19, though Few Experienced Major Symptoms; Those Working in Nursing Homes or Assisted Living Facilities Most Likely to Report Testing Positive More than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, a majority of frontline health care workers say the crisis is taking a toll on their mental health,…

  • KFF/The Washington Post Frontline Health Care Workers Survey

    Poll Finding

    This partnership survey with The Washington Post examines the experiences and attitudes of frontline health care workers during the coronavirus pandemic that overwhelmed many health care settings. With three COVID-19 vaccines currently being distributed to adults across the country, this project takes a look at the toll of the last year on frontline health care workers, including a look at the impact on their mental health and well being.

  • From Accessing Health Care to Work, Childcare, and Caregiving, the COVID-19 Pandemic Continues to Disproportionately Impact Women

    News Release

    Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, gender-based disparities have been amplified, particularly for women of color and those who are low-income. Two new issue briefs, using data from the 2020 KFF Women’s Health Survey that took place in November and December of 2020, examine women’s experiences during COVID-19. Women’s Experiences with Health Care: Women are more likely than men to forgo health care services during the pandemic, particularly women with health and economic challenges…