Take Action Mental Health in Your State

New Hampshire

By The Numbers

192,000

Number of K-12 Students (2022 Projection)i

15,000
Children with major depressionii
7,000

Children with major depression who do not receive treatmentiii

1:919

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

1:2,408

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

1:219

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

Take Action
in
New Hampshire

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 NEW HAMPSHIRE COMPARES

State Rankings from Mental Health America iv

2015

2020

2021

2022

Overall State Rank for Youth Mental Health

38

8

14

6

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

10,000 / 9.79%

13,000 / 13.91%

14,000 / 15.08%

15,000 / 15.85%

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

Not Asked

7,000 / 54.7%

9,000 / 56.9%

7,000 / 46.6%

Youth with Major Severe Depressive Episodes in the Past Year

Not Asked

8,000 / 8.3%

8,000 / 8.7%

9,000 / 10.2%

Youth with Severe Major Depressive Episodes
Who Received Some Consistent Treatment

Not Asked

3,000 / 39.7%

3,000 / 34.9%

4,000 / 47.6%

Students Identified with Emotional Disturbance
for an Individualized Education Program

2,192 / 12.40%

2,039 / 12.32%

2,095 / 12.77%

2,132 / 13.24%

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

Not Asked OR 7,076 / 36.1%

1,000 / 2.1%

1,000 / 2.5%

2,000 / 4.30%

Youth with Substance Use Disorder in the Past Year

7,000 / 7.11%

4,000 / 4.25%

4,000 / 4.41%

4,000 / 4.57%

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.
New Hampshire

By The Numbers

192,000

Number of K-12 Students (2022 Projection)i

15,000
Children with major depressionii
7,000

Children with major depression who do not receive treatmentiii

1:919

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

1:2,408

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

1:219

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

Take Action
in
New Hampshire

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 NEW HAMPSHIRE COMPARES

State Rankings from Mental Health America iv

2015

2020

2021

2022

Overall State Rank for Youth Mental Health

38

8

14

6

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

10,000 / 9.79%

13,000 / 13.91%

14,000 / 15.08%

15,000 / 15.85%

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

Not Asked

7,000 / 54.7%

9,000 / 56.9%

7,000 / 46.6%

Youth with Major Severe Depressive Episodes in the Past Year

Not Asked

8,000 / 8.3%

8,000 / 8.7%

9,000 / 10.2%

Youth with Severe Major Depressive Episodes
Who Received Some Consistent Treatment

Not Asked

3,000 / 39.7%

3,000 / 34.9%

4,000 / 47.6%

Students Identified with Emotional Disturbance
for an Individualized Education Program

2,192 / 12.40%

2,039 / 12.32%

2,095 / 12.77%

2,132 / 13.24%

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

Not Asked OR 7,076 / 36.1%

1,000 / 2.1%

1,000 / 2.5%

2,000 / 4.30%

Youth with Substance Use Disorder in the Past Year

7,000 / 7.11%

4,000 / 4.25%

4,000 / 4.41%

4,000 / 4.57%

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.

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School Mental Health Professionals

Some progress achieved

School psychologists, social workers, and counselors who, together, provide a range of necessary mental health services in schools.

 

Current Policy:

  • School Psychologists: New Hampshire has one school psychologist for every 919 students (the recommended ratio is 1:500).
  • School Social Workers: New Hampshire has one school social worker for every 2,408 students (the recommended ratio is 1:250).
  • School Counselors: New Hampshire has one school counselor for every 219 students (the recommended ratio is 1:250).

 

Policy Opportunity:

  • Invest in significantly improving the ratios of school psychologists and school social workers in K-12, including through telehealth partnerships and workforce programs that incentivize careers in mental health.

School-Family-Community Partnerships

Meaningful progress achieved

Policies that support and enable schools to engage with families and community partners.

 

Current Policy:

  • Family/community engagement: State statutes and regulations require districts to adopt plans, policies, or strategies to engage parents and families in the educational process.

 

Policy Opportunity:

  • Require partnerships between school districts and community mental health providers that ensure access to services for students with ongoing needs.

Teacher and Staff Training:

Some progress achieved

Policies that support training of teachers and staff in mental health, substance use, and suicide prevention.

 

Current Policy:

  • Teacher/staff training: NH Rev Stat § 193-J:2 (2020) requires school faculty and staff to receive at least two hours of suicide awareness and prevention training annually, including youth suicide risk factors, warnings signs, and response procedures. 

Policy Opportunity:

  • Expand on existing training requirements to ensure K-12 teachers and staff receive regular training on mental health conditions and substance use conditions, including available school and community-based services and resources.

Funding Supports

Substantial progress achieved

Policies that help support funding of school mental health services for Medicaid-eligible students.  

 

Current Policy:

  • Medicaid coverage: State Medicaid program covers school-based mental health services for all Medicaid-eligible students. See NH Rev. Stat. § 167:3-k (2020).
  • Medicaid telehealth: State Medicaid program covers school-based mental health services delivered via telehealth for all EPSDT services, which include mental health.

Well-Being Checks

Little or no progress achieved

Regular checks of mental wellness that help identify students and staff who may need support.  

 

Current Policy:

  • No well-being checks required.

 

Policy Opportunity:

  • Require annual well-being checks for all students and staff in K-12.

Healthy School Climate

Meaningful progress achieved

Policies that foster safe, supportive schools, including anti-bullying policies, school climate surveys, inclusive environment (anti-discrimination) policies, excused absences for mental health, alternatives to exclusionary discipline, and suicide prevention programs.

 

Current Policy:

  • Anti-bullying:
    • NH Rev Stat § 193-F:4 (2010) directs school boards to adopt a written policy prohibiting bullying and cyberbullying, including procedures for reporting and investigating bullying. 
    • NH Rev Stat § 193-F:5 (2010) requires school districts to provide annual bullying prevention training to employees and regular volunteers and contractors who have significant contact with pupils as well as education programs for pupils and parents in preventing, identifying, responding to, and reporting bullying or cyberbullying.
  • School climate survey: As of 2021, New Hampshire Department of Education administers the 603 Bright Future Survey, which includes questions on mental wellbeing.
  • Inclusive environment:
    • NH Rev. Stat. § 193:38 (2019) bans discrimination based on specific characteristics, such as gender, sexual orientation, or disability, in public schools. 
    • NH Rev Stat § 193-F:8 (2010) allows schools to create anti-discrimination or harassment policies.
  • Suicide prevention:
    • NH Rev Stat § 193-J (2020) instructs schools to educate students on the importance of safe and healthy choices and coping strategies, recognizing risk factors of mental disorders and suicide, and help-seeking strategies for oneself or others.
    • NH Rev Stat § 186:11 (2021) directs the state board of education to provide youth suicide prevention information to public and private schools to facilitate the delivery of appropriate courses and programs.
    • NH Rev Stat § 193-J:2 (2019) instructs schools to promote cooperative efforts between school districts and community suicide prevention program personnel.

 

Policy Opportunity:

  • Enact legislation to address additional healthy school climate policies, such permitting excused absences for mental health concerns and requiring adoption of alternatives to exclusionary discipline that keep youth in school, with services and supports to get their lives on track.

Skills for Life Success

Little or no progress achieved

Skills, such as responsible decision-making, relationship skills, and self-management, that help students succeed in school and life.  

 

Current Policy:

  • Life skills: New Hampshire provides resources for, but does not require, life skills competencies in K-12 (CASEL).   

 

Policy Opportunity:

  • Require adoption of evidence-based life skills education for K-12, including making training in the curriculum available to parents and caregivers.

Mental Health Education

Substantial progress achieved

Health education in K-12 that includes instruction on mental health.

  

Current Policy:

  • Mental health education: New Hampshire regulations require K-12 health education to include mental health.