Youth mental health needs remain widespread across Ohio, with barriers to care affecting families with both public and private insurance, according to recent studies and legislative action. Legislators passed Ohio House Bill 7 in 2025, requiring the Ohio Department of Medicaid to recognize mental health services for infants and young children and to reimburse mental health and family therapy services for that age group.
Scope of the Problem
Data from the Ohio Department of Health documented 250 deaths by suicide in 2023 for Ohioans aged 10 to 24. Between 2020 and 2023, the state recorded 96 suicide deaths among those aged 10 to 14, and 927 deaths by suicide for individuals aged 15 to 24. Additionally, more than 5,600 children in Ohio went to an emergency department for a suspected suicide attempt in 2024, according to the Health Policy Institute of Ohio.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Ohio noted that untreated mental health needs can interrupt school attendance, impact family stability and peer relationships, and increase the risk of “crisis-level needs” later in life. Ohio-specific data showed about 20% of the state’s middle school students reported their mental health as “not good” most or all of the time, while 35% of Ohio high school students reported “persistent” sadness or hopelessness.
Access and Workforce Barriers
Between 2022 and 2023, 38% of Ohio children needing mental health treatment found access “somewhat or very difficult to access.” A 2025 Health Policy Institute of Ohio study found that 17% of children and youth aged 3 to 17 on Medicaid needed mental health treatment, compared to 12% of children and youth with commercial insurance. Even families with private insurance reported difficulty finding treatment for their children.
The workforce shortage compounds these challenges. As of July of last year, 75 of the state’s 88 counties were designated “mental health professional shortage areas.” The Health Policy Institute of Ohio identified “a critical shortage of providers who treat young children, especially infant and early childhood mental health professionals.”
Data and Future Accountability
Ohio currently lacks comprehensive data on mental health system capacity, according to the Health Policy Institute of Ohio. However, House Bill 7 requires the Ohio Department of Medicaid to submit a report to the General Assembly by June 30, 2027, detailing how many families and children received services through public insurance, what types of services were provided, and the “outcome metrics” for those served.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2026/01/29/youth-mental-health-barriers-still-prevalent-in-ohio-studies-show/