Mental health

The declaration of a National State of Emergency in Child and Adolescent Mental Health by the major pediatric health organizations remains a pressing issue today.¹ Children’s mental health is a strong determinant of overall quality of life and involves a child's ability to reach certain developmental and emotional milestones, engage with others in social
settings and cope with challenges that may arise.

Community insights

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates nearly 1 out of every 5 children in the United States will experience a mental health disorder each year.² The four most commonly diagnosed mental health disorders in children are attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, behavioral problems and depression. In the eight-county primary service area—Collin, Denton, Grayson, Hood, Johnson, Parker, Tarrant and Wise counties, nearly 2 in 7 children ages 6 to 17 (about 237,000) has a diagnosed mental health need with the top two reported diagnosed mental health conditions being anxiety and attention deficit disorder or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD).³

Our focus areas and key efforts

Children's Feelings Are A Work Of Art

Offers a train-the-trainer course for partners to become program facilitators
Implemented through community partners to teach children and teens to identify, manage and express their feelings through art

Program information

Wellness Workshop

Offers free virtual trainings for mental health professionals focused on a variety of children’s mental health topics
Provides participants access to trainings that are offered throughout the year and provide free continuing education credits for counselors, psychologists and social workers

Wellness Workshops

Contact us about our program.

For more information, contact emily.russell@cookchildrens.org.

Access free resources

The Center for Community Health is committed to providing free education and access to our data.

Resources Access our data Partner with us

References

¹Benton TD, Beers L, Carlson G, Ng WYK. The declaration of the national emergency in child and adolescent mehealth: it takes a village. Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am. 2024;33(3):277-291. doi:10.1016/j.chc.2024.03.001.

²Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Data and statistics on children's mental health. Published 2024. Accessed September 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/children-mental-health/data-research/index.html

³Community Health Needs Assessment Report. (2024). Cook Children’s Health Care System. Fort Worth, Texas; or Cook Children’s CHNA 2024 at www.cookchildrens.org/chna (accessed September 2025). https://www.cookchildrenscommunity.org/data