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Cited by 6,278Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional DevelopmentMental Health Treatment and AccessPersonality Disorders and Psychopathology

Lifetime prevalence of mental disorders in U.S. adolescents: results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication - Adolescent Supplement (NCS-A)

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Merikangas, Kathleen Ries, He, Jian-ping, Burstein, Marcy, Swanson, Sonja A., Avenevoli, Shelli, Cui, Lihong, Benjet, Corina, Georgiades, Katholiki +1 more·2010·Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
DOI 10.1016/j.jaac.2010.05.017PMC PMC2946114
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Abstract

Objective To present estimates of the lifetime prevalence of DSM-IV mental disorders with and without severe impairment, their comorbidity across broad classes of disorder, and their sociodemographic correlates.Method The National Comorbidity Survey-Adolescent Supplement NCS-A is a nationally representative face-to-face survey of 10,123 adolescents aged 13 to 18 years in the continental United States. DSM-IV mental disorders were assessed using a modified version of the fully structured World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview.Results Anxiety disorders were the most common condition (31.9%), followed by behavior disorders (19.1%), mood disorders (14.3%), and substance use disorders (11.4%), with approximately 40% of participants with one class of disorder also meeting criteria for another class of lifetime disorder. The overall prevalence of disorders with severe impairment and/or distress was 22.2% (11.2% with mood disorders, 8.3% with anxiety disorders, and 9.6% behavior disorders). The median age of onset for disorder classes was earliest for anxiety (6 years), followed by 11 years for behavior, 13 years for mood, and 15 years for substance use disorders.Conclusions These findings provide the first prevalence data on a broad range of mental disorders in a nationally representative sample of U.S. adolescents. Approximately one in every four to five youth in the U.S. meets criteria for a mental disorder with severe impairment across their lifetime. The likelihood that common mental disorders in adults first emerge in childhood and adolescence highlights the need for a transition from the common focus on treatment of U.S. youth to that of prevention and early intervention.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.jaac.2010.05.017

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  • Over one-third of 13-18-year-olds meet criteria for an anxiety disorder.

    “Research in this population is especially important considering that over one-third of 13–18-year-olds meet criteria for an anxiety disorder (Merikangas et al., 2010).”

    From Neural Activation to Parental Praise Interacts With Social Context to Predict Adolescent Depressive Symptoms (2019) · cites this paper as Merikangas et al., 2010

    The Results (Lifetime Prevalence; page not supplied) report that 31.9% of adolescents met criteria for an anxiety disorder. That is nearly one-third, not over one-third as the citing sentence states. (LLM, conf=0.90)

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  • Estimates of lifetime prevalence suggest 20% to 30% of adolescents will experience an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives.

    “Estimates of lifetime prevalence suggest 20% to 30% of adolescents will experience an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives (Merikangas 2010).”

    From Exercise for the treatment of anxiety in children and adolescents (2022) · cites this paper as Merikangas 2010

    The Results (Lifetime Prevalence) estimate a 26.2% risk of an anxiety disorder by age 18, within the claimed range. But the paper’s measured lifetime prevalence among adolescents is 31.9%, above the stated 20%–30% range; risk by age 18 and lifetime prevalence are not the same estimate. (LLM, conf=0.88)

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  • Excessive worry, often as part of an anxiety disorder, is extremely common in individuals with depressive disorders.

    “Excessive worry, often as part of an anxiety disorder, is also extremely common in individuals with depressive disorders”

    From Intolerance of Uncertainty–Focused Treatment for Adolescents With Excessive Worry: A Pilot Feasibility Study (2020) · cites this paper as Merikangas et al., 2010

    The Discussion (page not provided) says mood disorders in the adolescent sample were the most likely disorder class to co-occur with other classes. It does not establish that excessive worry, or anxiety disorders specifically, are extremely common among people with depressive disorders; the claim also extends beyond adolescents. (LLM, conf=0.82)

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  • The point-estimated prevalence of SAD in Portuguese adolescents (9.4%) is slightly higher than data from previous studies that considered similar age groups and much higher than a previous work using a Portuguese adolescent sample.

    “This value is slightly higher than data from previous studies that considered similar age groups (e.g., [15,37,38]) and it is much higher than a previous work using a Portuguese adolescent sample [27].”

    From The Prevalence of Adolescent Social Fears and Social Anxiety Disorder in School Contexts (2022) · cites this paper as [38]

  • Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health conditions during adolescence.

    “Research consistently shows that anxiety disorders (ADs) are the most common mental health conditions during adolescence [2–8]”

    From Acceptance and commitment therapy as a transdiagnostic approach to adolescents with different anxiety disorders: study protocol. (2025) · cites this paper as [2]

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Authors
Merikangas, K. R., He, J.-P., Burstein, M., Swanson, S. A., Avenevoli, S., Cui, L., Benjet, C., Georgiades, K., & Swendsen, J.
Affiliations
  • National Institute of Mental Health (US)
  • Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz (MX)
  • McMaster University (CA)
  • Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
Corresponding author
Merikangas, Kathleen Ries
ORCID
Venue
Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2010-10
Volume
49
Issue
10
Pages
980-989
ISSN
0890-8567 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.jaac.2010.05.017
PMC
PMC2946114
OpenAlex
W2163659555
Cited by
6,278
References
46
Citations by year
2026: 248 · 2025: 349 · 2024: 445 · 2023: 449 · 2022: 502 · 2021: 643 · 2020: 608 · 2019: 469 · 2018: 448 · 2017: 484 · 2016: 397 · 2015: 397 · 2014: 312 · 2013: 249 · 2012: 173
FWCI
176.99
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations
  • Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute of Mental Health (ZIAMH002806, ZIAMH002849, ZIAMH002808, U01MH060220)
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse (R01DA016558)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Disorders and Psychopathology
Keywords
lifetime prevalence, adolescent mental disorders, psychiatric comorbidity, anxiety disorders, behavior disorders, mood disorders, substance use disorders, age of onset, sociodemographic correlates, early intervention, prevention
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Alcoholism, Anxiety Disorders, Mental Disorders, Cross-Sectional Studies, Cross-Cultural Comparison, Female, Health Surveys, Humans, Interview, Psychological, Male, Personality Assessment, Socioeconomic Factors, United States, Comorbidity, Age of Onset, Mood Disorders, Substance-Related Disorders, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders

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