Delaware

By The Numbers

141,000

Number of K-12 Students (2022 Projection)i

9,000
Children with major depressionii
6,000

Children with major depression who do not receive treatmentiii

1:825

Ratio of School Psychologists to Students
(Recommended Ratio 1:500)

1:2,547

Ratio of School Social Workers to Students
(Recommended Ratio 1:250)

1:382

Ratio of School Counselors to Students
(Recommended Ratio 1:250)

Take Action
in Delaware

There is a national emergency in children’s mental health. Children and youth are experiencing soaring rates of anxiety, depression, trauma, loneliness, and suicidality. 

Take Action

Children and youth are experiencing soaring rates of anxiety, depression, trauma, loneliness, and suicidality. Mental health challenges can affect success at school and in life, yet few students get the help they need to thrive.

The Hopeful Futures Campaign, a coalition of national organizations, is committed to ensuring that every student has access to effective and supportive school mental health care. The campaign’s school mental health report cards highlight accomplishments and provide important action steps to help address the children’s mental health crisis in every state.

At A Glance: State School Mental Health Policies

School Mental Health Professionals:

School-Family-Community Partnerships:

Teacher and Staff Training:

Funding
Supports:

Well-Being Checks:

Healthy School Climate:

Skills for Life Success:

Mental Health Education:

Little or no progress achieved

Some progress achieved

Meaningful progress achieved

Substantial progress achieved

HOW DELAWARE COMPARES

State Rankings from Mental Health America iv 

2015

2020

2021

2022

Overall State Rank for Youth Mental Health

16

8

8

18

Youth with At Least One Major Depressive Episode in the Past Year

6,000/8.49%

8,000/11.58%

9,000/13.05%

11,000/15.41%

Youth with Major Depressive Episodes in the
Past Year Who Did Not Receive Treatment

Not Asked

4,000/57.3%

4,000/47.9%

6,000/52.30%

Youth with Major Severe Depressive Episodes in the Past Year

Not Asked

4,000/6.6%

6,000/9.3%

9,000/12.80%

Youth with Severe Major Depressive Episodes
Who Received Some Consistent Treatment

Not Asked

2,000/41.5%

2,000/41.5%

3,000/36.30%

Students Identified with Emotional Disturbance
for an Individualized Education Program

745/6.34

1,037/8.32%

1,152/9.25%

1,211/9.47%

Youth with Private Insurance That Did Not
Cover Mental or Emotional Problems

Not Asked

3,000/6.9%

3,000/6.9%

3,000/7.00%

Youth with Substance Use Disorder in the Past Year

 

4,000/6.33%

3,000/4.3%

3,000/4.15%

3,000/4.31%

i. Projections of education statistics to 2022. National Center of Education Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved November 11, 2021, from https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2014/2014051.pdf.
ii. The state of Mental Health in America. Mental Health America. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america.
iii. The state of Mental Health in America. Mental Health America. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america.
iv. The state of Mental Health in America. Mental Health America. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america.