Youth Mental Health

North Carolina’s children are in crisis. We need to meet them with support where they are – at school.

What the Data Says

There is a mental health crisis in North Carolina. The percentage of young people diagnosed with anxiety and depression more than doubled since 2016. In 2023, about 4 in 10 North Carolina high school students reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness to the point that it disrupted their normal day-to-day life for two weeks or more at a time. This data only scratches the surface. At NC Child, we’re working to learn more about the causes of these challenges and what solutions we can implement to ensure that every child in North Carolina can grow up and reach their full potential. 

Why School-based Mental Health Matters

Our schools are where children spend the majority of their days, learning to read and write, make friends, and build social connections. Our schools play another vital role for children and communities: they provide services. Schools are a source of meals during the day and places to be active. Schools also provide support staff to meet the needs of the whole child.

Research shows that students with healthier behaviors tend to have higher grades in school, and this means that ensuring the health and well-being of our students is supported when they’re in school is critical to their overall success.

Too many students in North Carolina do not have access to school-based services or opportunities that positively impact their health. Now that we are experiencing a crisis of youth mental health, access to school-based services has never been more important for ensuring that our children grow up to lead healthy, fulfilling lives.

Mental Health Mapping Dashboard

The Mental Health Mapping Dashboard gives advocates an inside look at what resources are available to students in school districts across the state. It also gives us a roadmap to where and how we can expand access to school-based mental health resources so we can improve outcomes for our state’s young people and set them up for a lifetime of success.

Get Involved

Take Action

You can learn more about the Jason Flatt Act to prevent youth suicide through the Jason Foundation.

Mental Health Fact Sheet

School mental health professionals and the child mental health crisis

Child Health Report Card

2025 North Carolina Child Health Report Card. Special focus on school-based mental health

ECU Telehealth Fact Sheet

Across the state, there are far too few counselors to meet the mental and behavioral health needs of students. The ECU’s Healthier Lives at School and Beyond is a school-based telehealth program serves the students, staff, and faculty of medically underserved communities in rural eastern North Carolina.

 

More Resources from Our Partners

2022 KIDSCOUNT Data Book
Download
Data on youth suicide from the NC Department of Health and Human Services
Get data
Child Fatality Task Force Annual Report 2022
Download
Declaration of a National Emergency in Child and Adolescent Mental Health
Read

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