Behavioral health care surged to represent 40% of all medical expenditures for U.S. children in 2022, nearly doubling from 22% in 2011, according to a new study from scientists at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. Behavioral health encompasses both mental health conditions and substance use disorders, and includes conditions such as anxiety, ADHD, depression, autism and suicidal thoughts. The study found behavioral health expenditures totaled $41.8 billion in 2022, with families paying $2.9 billion out-of-pocket.
Read the full article: Behavioral Health Spending Spikes to 40% of All Children’s Health Expenditures //
Source: https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2025/12/behavioral-health-spending-spikes-to-40-of-all-childrens-health-expenditures?fj=1