A new study suggests adolescents aren’t getting the care they need for mental and emotional disorders, according to a new study from Duke University.
Granted, when teens are clinically diagnosed with a mood or behavioral disorder, they’re typically treated. The problem is these disorders often go undiagnosed. In this study, more than 10,000 teens (ages 13 to 17) were asked a number of health-related questions that teased out any potential mental or emotional health issues. Researchers found that if a teen has a psychological issue, there’s only about a 32 percent chance they’ve been treated for it. If the study indicated three disorders, the chances of being treated rose to 69 percent. Very few kids who received treatment actually saw a psychologist or counselor. (Time)
Paul Asay has covered religion for The Washington Post, Christianity Today, Beliefnet.com and The (Colorado Springs) Gazette. He writes about culture for Plugged In and wrote the Batman book God on the Streets of Gotham (Tyndale). He lives in Colorado Springs with wife Wendy and his two children. Follow him on Twitter.