Kids' Mentals Health treatment: Improving Access to Care 

Mental health challenges continue to increase across all age groups. The whole family is impacted when a child has unmet behavioral health needs. When children struggle with anxiety, depression, or other conditions, parents carry that burden into the workplace.

Working parents with children in need of treatment say they miss work at least once per month. They are also less able to focus and more likely to feel negatively about work and their chances to succeed. Some parents change or quit jobs because of their child's mental health.¹ 

Employers can support their workers with work/life flexibility and family-friendly policies that make it easier to get behavioral health care. An Employee Assistance Program (EAP) can play an especially important role in serving children's unmet behavioral and emotional needs.

Growing behavioral health needs among children

New research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Pediatrics² highlights growing behavioral health needs among children. The study also confirms barriers to receiving care. Key data referenced in the research shows:

• Mental health conditions rose 35% among children from 2016 to 2023.
• About 40% of adolescents did not receive treatment for a depressive episode.
• Almost 20% of families felt that their child (or children) needed mental health care.

More than 40,000 of the 173,000+ households researched cited a need for care. Of those families:

• 24.8% reported unmet mental health treatment needs.
• 27.8% of multi-child households reported unmet needs.
• 21% of single-child households reported unmet needs.

Research also showed differences based on education and race:

• 24.5% of public school-educated children had unmet needs, versus 30.9% of homeschooled children.
• 38.7% of non-Hispanic African American or Black households reported unmet needs versus non-Hispanic white households (18.3%).

Barriers to kids' mental health care treatment

Families can experience several challenges in accessing behavioral health treatment. Common barriers noted in the study were:

• Financial concerns over the cost of care.
• Limited provider availability in the local area.
• Logistical challenges like transportation and time away from work.

Households reporting a need for mental health care for their child or children face these barriers. Research data indicates:

• 21.8% of families said they had trouble accessing care.
• 19.6% of single-adult households had trouble getting care.
• 16.1% of multi-adult households reported barriers to access.
• 16.6% of households that did receive treatment reported difficulty finding care.

The study acknowledges that actual numbers may be higher. Households often underreport mental health concerns due to lingering stigma around the topic. There is a critical need for help, particularly for children in more vulnerable populations. 

Workplace stigma surrounding mental health

The Kids Mental Health Foundation™ says that the stigma of mental health can lead to silence among working parents. Their study, "The Ripple Effect," indicates that only 47% of parents talk to their coworkers about family behavioral health concerns.¹ 

Less than 40% talk to their boss or supervisor, and only 30% of working parents struggling with mental health care concerns are comfortable going to HR for help. Employers can be among the last to know when an employee needs critical support for their family.

EAPs offer simplified access to behavioral health services

Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) are built on a foundation of care, compassion, and confidentiality. Mental health services are at the core of an EAP. 

An EAP typically covers employees and children, spouses, and other dependents. Children can get help for mental health issues such as anger, anxiety, depression, and/or school stress. 

EAPs offer behavioral health assessments, therapy, coaching, and referrals for specialty care if needed. Child development specialists can provide additional guidance and support, helping parents learn how to navigate their child's challenges. 

Highmark EAP + Mental Well-Being

Highmark has an integrated EAP solution that ensures continuity across services and providers for dependents as young as 6 years old. The EAP is an extension of our Mental Well-Being benefits, which are included in all our Well360 employer health plans. 

Convenient digital solutions make it easier to talk to a professional when needed. Certified coaches help with goal setting and healthy habits — like doing homework, making friends, obeying curfew, and other positive behaviors.

Integrating our EAP with other Highmark employee benefits facilitates whole-person care for all family members. Ask your Highmark account manager or employee health insurance broker about EAP + Mental Well-Being.

Helpful resources

_{All references to "Highmark" in this communication are references to Highmark Inc., an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, and/or to one or more of its affiliated Blue companies.}