Nearly 1 in 2 California adolescents, ages 12–17, reported having psychological distress, with 1 in 3 reporting serious psychological distress, according to a new study that uses California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) data.
But who is the most vulnerable and what impact do social and structural factors have on the mental health of adolescents?
As part of our Health Policy Seminar Series, D. Imelda Padilla-Frausto, PhD, MPH, a research scientist at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research; Blanche Wright, MA, a doctoral candidate in the UCLA Psychology Department; and Dr. Ann Crawford-Roberts, a resident physician at UCLA, discussed their new policy brief which found that nearly 1 in 3 California adolescents reported having serious psychological distress and 1 in 7 reported experiencing moderate psychological distress in 2019.
The policy brief and discussion look at social determinants of health ─ factors such as family income, health insurance, gender, race, ethnicity, and citizenship status ─ to determine which teens were affected the most by mental health distress. Presenters discussed how teens’ health and behavior in areas such as health status, nutrition, physical activity, social media use, and other behaviors such as drinking and smoking, are related to mental health outcomes.
Presenters also shared recommendations in reducing socioeconomic inequities, increasing access to health services in school-based settings, continuing telehealth or virtual-based services, increasing mental health literacy among parents, adopting care models that address primary care and mental health needs, and mental health training for individuals working in law enforcement.
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The UCLA Center for Health Policy Research is one of the nation's leading health policy research centers and the premier source of health policy information for California. Established in 1994, the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research is based in the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and affiliated with the Luskin School of Public Affairs.
The UCLA Center for Health Policy Research improves the public's health by advancing health policy through research, public service, community partnership, and education.
