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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.

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  • New KFF/CNN Survey on Mental Health Finds Young Adults in Crisis; More Than a Third Say Their Mental Health Keeps Them from Doing Normal Activities

    News Release

    Most Adults Have Not Heard About New 988 National Suicide Prevention Hotline An overwhelmingly majority (90%) of Americans believe the nation is in the midst of a mental health crisis, and young adults appear to be suffering the most, a new KFF-CNN survey on mental health in America reveals. A third (34%) of adults under age 30 rate their mental health as “only fair” or “poor,” compared to 19% of those ages 30 and older.…

  • KFF/CNN Mental Health In America Survey

    Report

    The latest KFF/CNN partnership survey examines growing concerns regarding mental health in America, particularly at a time of economic uncertainty and the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. This report looks at how mental health impacts U.S. adults, including younger adults, LGBT adults, Hispanic adults, and the uninsured, while also bringing awareness to the new 988 crisis hotline.

  • Five Key Findings on Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders by Race/Ethnicity

    Issue Brief

    Rapidly rising rates of deaths by suicide and drug overdose among people of color, along with disproportionate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, further underscore inequities in access to mental health care and treatment and highlight the importance of centering equity in diagnostics, care, and treatment.

  • Mental Health Parity at a Crossroads

    News Release

    With federal agencies preparing to update parity regulations and Congress considering reforms, our new report explains existing parity requirements, including who they apply to and how their enforced, and highlights key policy issues raised by regulators and advocates that could be addressed in the future. Those issues include: Simplifying parity standards to make it easier for apples-to-apples comparisons between behavior health and medical benefits needed to assess compliance. Taking a closer look at how insurers are…

  • Mental Health Parity at a Crossroads

    Issue Brief

    This brief discusses federal mental health parity protections -- what they are, who they apply to, who enforces them and key policy issues as Congress and federal agencies evaluate improvements to the law to address gaps in mental health coverage and access.

  • Do States with Easier Access to Guns have More Suicide Deaths by Firearm?

    Issue Brief

    The recent mass shootings in Uvalde and Buffalo have catalyzed discussion around mental health and gun policy. In the same week that the federal Bipartisan Safer Communities Act was signed strengthening background checks for young adults, adding incentives for red flag laws, and reducing access to guns for individuals with a domestic violence history, the Supreme Court struck down New York’s “proper cause” requirement for concealed carry allowances. In this issue brief, we use the…

  • As the U.S. Prepares to Launch a National Three-Digit Number for the Mental Health Crisis Hotline in July, Data Show Suicide Death Rates Increased in the Decade from 2010 to 2020, Especially Among People of Color

    News Release

    As the federal government prepares to launch the national three-digit number “988” for the mental health crisis hotline next month, a new KFF analysis shows that suicide death rates increased by 12 percent in the decade from 2010 to 2020 -- with death rates rising fastest among people of color, younger individuals, and people who live in rural areas. The number of suicide deaths peaked at 48,344 in 2018 and then decreased slightly in 2019…