Source and excerpted from: Department of Health and Human Services; the Center for Mental Health Services Knowledge Exchange Network (KEN)

• Mental Health problems affect one in every five young people.
  

• One in every ten young people are nine or older (or about four million) has a serious emotional disturbance that severely disrupts daily life.
  

• Among children, boys and girls are at equal risk for developing depression.
  

• Children who develop depression often have a family history of the illness, many times a parent who had depression at an early age.
  

• Once a young person experiences a major depression, he or she has a greater risk of developing another depression or mental health problem within the next five years.
  

• Untreated mental health problems can lead to suicide, which is the sixth leading cause of death for five to fourteen year-olds.
  

• As estimated two-thirds of all young people with mental health problems are not getting the help they need.
  

• Mental health problems can - and should - be treated.

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