BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

This indicator reports the number of inpatient hospitalizations in Orange County among 0-17 year olds related to serious mental health and substance use conditions. The data include rates of inpatient hospitalization for broad behavioral health conditions and rates of inpatient hospitalization per 10,000 children broken down by behavioral health diagnosis, race/ethnicity and city of residence.

The presence of behavioral health disorders can have a profound impact on individuals and families, as well as systems within the community, such as schools or the juvenile justice system. By tracking hospitalization rates related to behavioral health disorders, health officials can more readily identify trends and monitor the needs of the community while directing needed resources (e.g., training, education, counseling, outreach and substance abuse treatment) to areas in need. For example, an increase in hospitalization rates due to heroin use may lead to resource allocation to combat the increase in the use of this harmful drug.

• Overall hospitalization rates for serious mental health and substance abuse conditions among children dropped for the first time in five years.

• Despite the one-year decline, the overall hospitalization rate for serious mental illness and substance abuse conditions among children increased by 33%, from a low of 16.7 per 10,000 children in 2008 to 22.3 per 10,000 children in 2015.

• Hospitalizations for substance-related diagnoses accounted for 2% of all such admissions for children in 2015, a decrease of 76% over the past decade from 1.7 per 10,000 children in 2006 to 0.4 per 10,000 children in 2015.

• The hospitalization rate for serious mental illness increased 71%, from a low of 11.3 per 10,000 children in 2008 to 19.3 per 10,000 children in 2015.

• Major Depression and Mood Disorders accounted for over six in 10 (66%) of all such hospitalizations, followed by Bipolar (13%), Schizophrenia/Psychoses (4%) and Schizoaffective Disorders (3%).

• White youth accounted for nearly half (49%) of all mental illness and substance abuserelated hospitalizations and Hispanic children accounted for more than one third (38%).

• Males comprised more than half (54%) of substance-related hospitalizations, while females accounted for the majority (65%) of mental illness hospitalizations.

• In 2015, 12.3% of adolescents aged 12 to 17 years had at least one major depressive episode in California and 11.9% in the United States. Overall, both rates were a higher percentage than previous years between 2005 to 2013 (ranging from 8.8 to 11.4%).1

2005 to 2014

Total

• Mental Illness

• Other

• Substance Abuse

Source: Orange County Health Care Agency, Health Policy Research and Planning

Note: Other includes mental disorders such as other unspecified mood disorders, conduct disorders and disorders related to sleep, eating, elimination and pain.

2014

• White

• Hispanic

Source: Orange County Health Care Agency, Health Policy and Research

Notes: Rates for black children are not included due to unstable and unreliable estimates for small populations. Other includes mental disorders such as other unspecified mood disorders, conduct disorders and disorders related to sleep, eating, elimination and pain.

*The rates for these cities are unstable because of the small population of children residing in these areas.

Note: N/A indicates no data are available. CDP=census designated place. Sources: Orange County Health Care Agency, Health Policy and Research.