{"id":265203,"date":"2026-05-29T11:52:03","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T15:52:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/?post_type=bu-article&#038;p=265203"},"modified":"2026-05-29T16:25:57","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T20:25:57","slug":"anxiety-related-pediatric-primary-care-visits-rose-300-over-decade-in-massachusetts","status":"publish","type":"bu-article","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/news\/articles\/2026\/anxiety-related-pediatric-primary-care-visits-rose-300-over-decade-in-massachusetts\/","title":{"rendered":"Anxiety-related Pediatric Primary Care Visits Rose 300% Over Decade in Massachusetts"},"content":{"rendered":"\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-leadin sphnews-block-editorial-leadin is-style-text-over-image has-media has-box has-media-focus-center-middle has-text-position-x-left has-text-position-y-bottom has-primary-theme\">\n\t\t<div class=\"container-lockup\">\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-leadin-media\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<img width=\"2121\" height=\"1414\" src=\"\/sph\/files\/2026\/05\/pediatric.jpg\" class=\"\" alt=\"Sad frightened little boy sitting at medical office on chair looks aside with scared face expression. Caucasian toddler waiting for medical examining at hospital.\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2026\/05\/pediatric.jpg 2121w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2026\/05\/pediatric-636x424.jpg 636w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2026\/05\/pediatric-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2026\/05\/pediatric-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2026\/05\/pediatric-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2026\/05\/pediatric-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2026\/05\/pediatric-755x503.jpg 755w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2026\/05\/pediatric-1500x1000.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2026\/05\/pediatric-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2026\/05\/pediatric-450x300.jpg 450w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2026\/05\/pediatric-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2026\/05\/pediatric-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2026\/05\/pediatric-1200x800.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2121px) 100vw, 2121px\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-outer\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-inner has-opacity-70\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-prepress-tag\">children&#039;s health<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"head\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAnxiety-related Pediatric Primary Care Visits Rose 300% Over Decade in Massachusetts\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"deck\">A new study found that children\u2019s visits to the doctor for all mental health conditions increased from 2014 to 2023 in the commonwealth. Visits related to anxiety represented the largest increase, and ADHD was the most common condition addressed during these visits.<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar sphnews-prepress-layout-metabar\">\n\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-date\">May 29, 2026<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-credits\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul data-credit-type=\"By\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/news\/authors\/jillian-mckoy\/\">Jillian McKoy<\/a><\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-share js-bu-prepress-share-tools\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-twitter\"><span>Twitter<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-facebook\"><span>Facebook<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-action\"><\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\n<p>The mental health of children and adolescents has been a growing public health priority, particularly over the last decade as youth navigate digital overload, social instability, climate change, and other pressing issues in the national and global landscape. Now, a new study led by a the School of Public Health researcher has found that 1 in 10 children in Massachusetts visited a primary care office to address a mental health need in 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/jamanetwork.com\/journals\/jamanetworkopen\/fullarticle\/2849123\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Published in <em>JAMA Network Open<\/em><\/a>, the study estimated trends in pediatric primary care visits for mental health problems from 2014 to 2023 and found that appointments for anxiety-related issues increased the most, rising from 1.7 percent of visits in 2014 to 6.1 percent in 2023\u2014a 300 percent increase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The study builds upon previous data that indicates that mental health visits to doctor\u2019s offices have doubled among adolescents in the US over the past two decades by providing insight into the specific types and extent of mental health care that youth are seeking. Mental, behavioral, and developmental disorders affect nearly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/pcd\/issues\/2024\/24_0142.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">30 percent<\/a> of children in the US, and almost <a href=\"https:\/\/jamanetwork.com\/journals\/jamapediatrics\/fullarticle\/2724377\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">half<\/a> of youth with these conditions do not receive treatment for them. The new findings can inform opportunities for pediatric primary care offices to integrate mental health services into their practices to increase access to this much-needed care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOur findings may reflect both the underlying increasing prevalence of pediatric mental health needs, alongside primary care physicians having greater capacity to screen for and address them,\u201d says study lead and corresponding author Kerrin Gallagher, who recently received her PhD in health services and policy research at SPH and was a doctoral student at the time of the study. \u201cPrimary care providers should continue to build up training and staffing to both screen for and treat mental health conditions, and integrating behavioral health is one strategy to achieve this goal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For the study, Gallagher and colleagues utilized claims data among nearly two million children and young adults ages 1 to 18 in Massachusetts to examine trends in visits to primary care practitioners for mental health-related reasons. Pediatric visits for any mental health diagnosis increased from 5.9 visits per 100 children in 2014 to 9.7 visits per 100 children in 2023, and the top five mental health diagnoses among children were attention-deficit\/hyperactive disorder (ADHD), depression, anxiety, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and trauma or stressor-related disorders. ADHD was the most common mental health condition addressed in pediatric primary care visits, increasing from five percent to 6.7 percent during the study period, while visits for depression, ASD, and trauma- and stressor-related disorders also increased.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"426\" src=\"\/sph\/files\/2026\/05\/mental-health-kids-1024x426.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-265230\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2026\/05\/mental-health-kids-1024x426.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2026\/05\/mental-health-kids-636x265.png 636w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2026\/05\/mental-health-kids-768x320.png 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2026\/05\/mental-health-kids-1536x639.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2026\/05\/mental-health-kids-1200x500.png 1200w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2026\/05\/mental-health-kids-992x413.png 992w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2026\/05\/mental-health-kids-1500x624.png 1500w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2026\/05\/mental-health-kids-755x314.png 755w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2026\/05\/mental-health-kids-1628x678.png 1628w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2026\/05\/mental-health-kids-900x375.png 900w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2026\/05\/mental-health-kids.png 1912w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Figure A reflects state-level prevalence presented as quartiles of at least one mental health disorder in the total sample of children (weighted estimate, 46.6 million). Figure B reflects state-level prevalence presented as quartiles of children with a mental health disorder not receiving needed treatment or counseling from a mental health professional (weighted estimate, 7.7 million).<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>While the study did not examine the underlying causes driving these increases in mental health-related visits, the results showed that anxiety-related visits were particularly high during the COVID-19 pandemic, supporting copious research that has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.childrenshospitals.org\/news\/childrens-hospitals-today\/2022\/07\/the-pandemics-lasting-effects-on-kids\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">documented<\/a> worsening mental health among youth during and after the unprecedented global crisis. Increased screening may also contribute to the rise in documented prevalence of these conditions since 2014, but likely does not fully explain the increases, Gallagher notes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe need to continue studying anxiety and what may be underlying this trend, including the influence of social media usage,\u201d she says. \u201cContinued research into integrated behavioral health is also crucial for understanding how we can better address anxiety and other conditions in primary care settings and ensure access to care for patients.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.teamupcenter.org\/\" target=\"_blank\">TEAM UP<\/a> program (Transforming and Expanding Access to Mental Health Care Universally in Pediatrics) at Boston Medical Center\u2014for which Gallagher supported the research and evaluation team (led by <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/profile\/megan-cole-brahim\/\" target=\"_blank\">Megan Cole Brahim<\/a>, adjunct associate professor of health law, policy &amp; management at SPH and division director in the Division of Health Policy and Insurance Research at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute) during her PhD program\u2014is a leading example of these efforts, she says. The program model integrates behavioral health services into primary care practices with a goal to reduce barriers to pediatric mental healthcare treatment.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories is-style-card has-two sphnews-block-editorial-relatedstories\">\n\t\t<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-title\">Related<\/h3>\n\t\t<ul class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"600\" height=\"362\" src=\"\/sph\/files\/2024\/04\/boston-skyline-600x362-1.png\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Boston skyline at sunset, BU campus visible in bottom right corner\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-category\"><span>health disparities<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/news\/articles\/2024\/new-center-will-extend-behavioral-health-services-to-126000-children-in-massachusetts\/\" class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title-link\">New Center Will Extend Behavioral Health Services to 126,000 Children in Massachusetts<\/a><\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-date\">July 12, 2024<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The mental health of children and adolescents has been a growing public health priority, particularly over the last decade as youth navigate digital overload, social instability, climate change, and other pressing issues in the national and global landscape. Now, a new study led by a the School of Public Health researcher has found that 1 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15205,"featured_media":265214,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"bu_prepress_billboard":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term_manual":""},"tags":[2207,1981,3798,1872,3891,1871],"bu-publication":[3516],"sphnews-article-category":[3519,3520,3531,3540,4084],"sphnews-topic":[],"bu_edition":[],"media_type":[],"profile_tax":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/265203"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/bu-article"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15205"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=265203"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/265203\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":265263,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/265203\/revisions\/265263"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/265214"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=265203"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=265203"},{"taxonomy":"bu-publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-publication?post=265203"},{"taxonomy":"sphnews-article-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sphnews-article-category?post=265203"},{"taxonomy":"sphnews-topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sphnews-topic?post=265203"},{"taxonomy":"bu_edition","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu_edition?post=265203"},{"taxonomy":"media_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media_type?post=265203"},{"taxonomy":"profile_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/profile_tax?post=265203"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}