NCHS Data Brief ■ No. 148 ■ April 2014

u.s. department of health and human services

centers for disease control and prevention

national center for health statistics

Use of Medication Prescribed for Emotional or Behavioral 

Difficulties Among Children Aged 6–17 Years in the

United States, 2011–2012 

LaJeana D. Howie, M.P.H., C.H.E.S.; Patricia N. Pastor, Ph.D.; and Susan L. Lukacs, D.O., M.S.P.H.

Mental health problems are common chronic conditions in children (1–3). 

Medication is often prescribed to treat the symptoms of these conditions 

(4–7). Few population-based studies have examined the use of prescription 

medication to treat mental health problems among younger as well as older 

school-aged children (8–10). This report describes the sociodemographic 

characteristics of children aged 6–17 years prescribed medication or taking 

medication during the past 6 months for emotional or behavioral difficulties, 

and describes parental reports of the perceived benefit of this medication. 

Keywords: prescription medication • mental health treatment

Use of prescribed medication during the past 6 months for 

emotional or behavioral difficulties varied by sex, age, and 

race and Hispanic origin among children aged 6–17 years.

Key findings

Data from the National 

Health Interview Survey, 

2011-2012

• Seven and one-half percent of 

children aged 6–17 years used 

prescribed medication during the 

past 6 months for emotional or 

behavioral difficulties.

• A higher percentage of 

children insured by Medicaid or 

the Children’s Health Insurance 

Program used prescribed 

medication for emotional or 

behavioral difficulties than 

children with private health 

insurance or no health insurance.

• A higher percentage of 

children in families having 

income below 100% of the 

poverty level used prescribed 

medication for emotional or 

behavioral difficulties than 

children in families at 100% to 

less than 200% of the poverty 

level. 

• More than one-half of 

children who used prescribed 

medication for emotional or 

behavioral difficulties had a 

parent report that this medication 

helped the child “a lot.” 

26–11 4.0

 12–17 6.3

1

Females aged 6–17 years significantly different from males aged 6–17 years. Females aged 6–11 years significantly different

from males aged 6–11 years, and females aged 12–17 years significantly different from males aged 12–17 years. 2

Females aged 6–11 years significantly different from females aged 12–17 years. 3

Non-Hispanic white children significantly different from non-Hispanic black and Hispanic children. 4

Non-Hispanic black children significantly different from Hispanic children.

NOTE: Parents were asked, “During the past 6 months, was the [sample child] prescribed medication or taking prescription

medication for difficulties with emotions, concentration, behavior, or being able to get along with others?”

SOURCE: CDC/NCHS, National Health Interview Survey.

Total 7.5

1

6–17 5.2

 6–17 9.7

Race and ethnicity

6–11 9.2

Non-Hispanic white3 9.2

Non-Hispanic black4 7.4

Hispanic 4.5

Figure 1. Percentage of children aged 6–17 years prescribed medication during the past 6 months 

for emotional or behavioral difficulties, by sex and age group, and race and Hispanic origin:

United States, 2011–2012

0246 8 10 12

Percent

Males

Females

12–17 10.2

Age (in years)
NCHS Data Brief ■ No. 148 ■ April 2014

■  2  ■

Among all children aged 6–17 years, 7.5% used prescribed medication during the past 6 months 

for emotional or behavioral difficulties. A higher percentage of males (9.7%) used prescribed 

medication for emotional or behavioral difficulties compared with females (5.2%), and males had 

a higher percentage than females in each age group. While older females had a higher percentage 

(6.3%) than younger females (4.0%), there was no difference by age group for males. The 

percentage of children who used prescribed medication for emotional or behavioral difficulties 

was highest for non-Hispanic white (9.2%) children, followed by non-Hispanic black (7.4%) 

children, and Hispanic (4.5%) children (Figure 1).

Children insured by Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program 

were more likely to use prescribed medication for emotional or behavioral 

difficulties than privately insured or uninsured children.

Among children aged 6–17 years, a higher percentage of children insured by Medicaid or the 

Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) (9.9%) used prescribed medication for emotional or 

behavioral difficulties compared with children who were privately insured (6.7%) and uninsured 

(2.7%). Uninsured children had the lowest percentage of children using prescribed medication 

for emotional or behavioral difficulties compared with children with Medicaid or CHIP, private 

insurance, or TRICARE or other insurance (Figure 2).

1

Children with Medicaid/CHIP significantly different from children with private insurance or uninsured children.

2

Uninsured children significantly different from all other insurance status categories.

NOTES: CHIP is children's health insurance program. TRICARE/other includes children with military, Medicare, and other government insurance. Parents were asked,

“During the past 6 months, was the [sample child] prescribed medication or taking prescription medication for difficulties with emotions, concentration, behavior, or

being able to get along with others?”

SOURCE: CDC/NCHS, National Health Interview Survey.

Figure 2. Percentage of children aged 6–17 years prescribed medication during the past 6 months for emotional or

behavioral difficulties, by health insurance status: United States, 2011–2012

Health insurance status

7.9

TRICARE/other

2.7

Uninsured2

6.7

Private

9.9

Medicaid/CHIP1

Percent

0

2

4

6

8

10
NCHS Data Brief ■ No. 148 ■ April 2014

■  3  ■

Use of prescribed medication during the past 6 months for emotional or 

behavioral difficulties varied by poverty level. 

Among children aged 6–17 years, a higher percentage of children in families having income 

below 100% of the poverty level (9.2%) used prescribed medication for emotional or behavioral 

difficulties compared with children in families having income at 100% to less than 200% of 

the poverty level (6.6%). The observed differences between children in families having income 

below 100% of the poverty level and children in families having income at or above 200% of the 

poverty level were not statistically significant (Figure 3).

1

Children in families having income less than 100% of the poverty level significantly different from children in families having income at 100% to less than

200% of the poverty level.

NOTE: Parents were asked, “During the past 6 months, was the [sample child] prescribed medication or taking prescription medication for difficulties with

emotions, concentration, behavior, or being able to get along with others?”

SOURCE: CDC/NCHS, National Health Interview Survey.

Figure 3. Percentage of children aged 6–17 years prescribed medication during the past 6 months for emotional or

behavioral difficulties, by poverty status: United States, 2011–2012 Percent

Less than

100%1

9.2

0

2

4

6

8

10

7.2

400% or more

7.3

200% to less

than 400%

6.6

100% to less

than 200%

Poverty level
NCHS Data Brief ■ No. 148 ■ April 2014

■  4  ■

More than one-half of children who used prescribed medication for 

emotional or behavioral difficulties had a parent report that this medication 

helped the child “a lot.”

Among children aged 6–17 years who used medication prescribed for emotional or behavioral 

difficulties, more than one-half (55.1%) had a parent report that the medication helped the child “a 

lot,” 26.0% were helped “some,” and 18.9% were not helped (“not at all” or helped “a little”). The 

percentage of children who were helped “a lot” by the medication did not vary between older and 

younger children, but it was lower for females (49.9%) compared with males (57.8%) and lower 

for children in families having income below 100% of the poverty level (43.0%) compared with 

children in families having income at 100% or more of the poverty level (59.2%) (Figure 4). 

1

Females helped "a lot" significantly different from males helped "a lot.'' 2

Children in families having income less than 100% of the poverty level who reported being helped "a lot" significantly different from children in families having

income at 100% or more of the poverty level who reported being helped "a lot."

NOTE: Parents were asked, “During the past 6 months, how much has this prescription medication helped [sample child]?” Parents could respond: "not at all,"

"a little," "some," or "a lot."

SOURCE: CDC/NCHS, National Health Interview Survey.

Figure 4. Percentage of children whose parents reported perceived benefit of medication for emotional or behavioral difficulties

by age group, sex, and poverty status among children aged 6–17 years prescribed medication during the past 6 months:

United States, 2011–2012 Percent

0

20

40

60

80

100

A lot

Some

Not at all/

A little

Total

55.1

26.0

18.9

6–11

57.9

23.5

18.6

12–17

52.9

28.0

19.1

Males

57.8

25.9

16.3

Females1

49.9

26.1

24.0

Less than

100%2

43.0

31.2

25.8

100%

or more

59.2

24.3

16.5

Age (in years) Sex Poverty level
NCHS Data Brief ■ No. 148 ■ April 2014

■  5  ■

Summary

Among children aged 6–17 years, 7.5% used prescribed medication for emotional or behavioral 

difficulties in 2011–2012. Males and non-Hispanic white children were more likely to use 

prescribed medication than females and children of other racial and ethnic groups. Among 

females, the percentage of children who used prescribed medication for emotional or behavioral 

difficulties was higher for older females compared with younger females. Among males, there 

was no difference between younger and older males. The percentage of children who used 

prescribed medication for emotional or behavioral difficulties varied by health insurance status 

and poverty status. A higher percentage of children with Medicaid or CHIP coverage used 

prescribed medication compared with children who had private insurance or were uninsured. A 

lower percentage of uninsured children used prescribed medication for emotional or behavioral 

difficulties than either privately or publicly insured children. A higher percentage of children 

living in poverty used prescribed medication than children in families having income at 100% to 

less than 200% of the poverty level. There were also differences among children in the parent’s 

perception of the benefit of medication for emotional or behavioral difficulties. Overall, a little 

more than one-half (55.1%) of the children had a parent report that the medication had helped the 

child “a lot,” 26.0% were helped “some,” and 18.9% were not helped (“not at all” or helped “a 

little”). While there were no significant differences in the percentages of children who were helped 

“a lot” by medication by age group, there were differences by sex and poverty status. A higher 

percentage of males and children in families having income at 100% or more of the poverty 

level were reported by parents to have been helped “a lot” compared with females and children 

in families having income below 100% of the poverty level. Over the past 2 decades, the use of 

medication to treat mental health problems has increased substantially among all school-aged 

children and in most subgroups of children (5,7,11). Data collected by national health surveys 

play a key role in monitoring and understanding the factors associated with the expanded use of 

medication for the emotional and behavioral problems of children.

Definitions

Emotional or behavioral difficulties: Difficulties with emotions, concentration, behavior, or being 

able to get along with others.

Medication prescribed for emotional or behavioral difficulties: Estimate based on an affirmative 

response to the question, “During the past 6 months, was [sample child] prescribed medication 

or taking medication for difficulties with emotions, concentration, behavior, or being able to get 

along with others?”

Perceived benefit of medication: Parents were asked, “During the past 6 months, how much has 

this prescription medication helped [sample child]?” Parents could respond: “not at all,” “a little,” 

“some,” or “a lot.”
NCHS Data Brief ■ No. 148 ■ April 2014

■  6  ■

Poverty status or percentage of poverty level: Based on family income, family size, the number 

of children in the family, and, for families with two or fewer adults, on the age of the adults in 

the family. The poverty level is based on a set of income thresholds that vary by family size and 

composition. Families or individuals with income below their appropriate thresholds are classified 

as below the poverty level. These thresholds are updated annually by the U.S. Census Bureau to 

reflect changes in the Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers (12). Estimates by poverty 

status from NHIS are based on both reported and imputed family income (13).

Health insurance: Respondents were asked about the sample child’s health care coverage at 

the time of interview. Respondents reported whether the child was covered by private health 

insurance (obtained through the employer or workplace, purchased directly, or purchased through 

a local or community program), Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, Indian Health Service (IHS), military 

insurance (including TRICARE), a state-sponsored health plan, another government program, or 

any single-service plan. This information was used to form four mutually exclusive categories: 

1) children with private health insurance (which may include children who also have public 

coverage like Medicare); 2) children with Medicaid or CHIP; 3) children with TRICARE or other 

military, Medicare, or other government insurance; and 4) children who are uninsured. Children 

who only had IHS or a single-service plan were considered to be uninsured.

Data source and methods

NHIS data were used to estimate the percentage of children who were prescribed medication 

for emotional and behavioral difficulties during the past 6 months. NHIS data are collected 

continuously throughout the year for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) 

National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) by interviewers from the U.S. Census Bureau. 

NHIS collects information about the health and health care of the civilian noninstitutionalized 

U.S. population. Interviews are conducted in respondents’ homes, but follow-ups to complete 

interviews may be conducted over the telephone. The Sample Child component collects detailed 

data on health conditions for a randomly selected child in households with at least one child. All 

of the data in the Sample Child component are obtained from a proxy respondent; no information 

is from medical records. A responsible adult, usually a parent, responds to the survey questions 

as proxy for the sample child. For further information about NHIS and the questionnaire, visit the 

NHIS website at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis.htm.

NHIS is designed to yield a sample that is representative of the civilian noninstitutionalized 

population of the United States, and the survey uses weighting to produce national estimates. 

Data weighting procedures are described in more detail elsewhere (14). Point estimates and 

estimates of corresponding variances for the estimates were calculated using SUDAAN software 

(15) to account for the complex sample design of NHIS. The Taylor series linearization method 

was chosen for variance estimation. 

Differences between percentages were evaluated using two-sided significance tests at the 0.05 

level. Terms such as “higher” and “lower” indicate statistically significant differences. Terms such 

as “no difference” indicate that the statistics being compared were not significantly different. All 

estimates shown in this report have a relative standard error less than or equal to 30%. 
NCHS Data Brief ■ No. 148 ■ April 2014

■  7  ■

About the authors

LaJeana D. Howie, Patricia N. Pastor, and Susan L. Lukacs are with CDC/NCHS, Office of 

Analysis and Epidemiology. 

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13. Schenker N, Raghunathan TE, Chiu P-L, et al. Multiple imputation 

of family income and personal earnings in the National Health Interview 

Survey: Methods and examples. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health 

Statistics. 2008.

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estimation for the National Health Interview Survey, 1995–2004. National 

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Suggested citation

Howie LD, Pastor PN, Lukacs SL. Use 

of medication prescribed for emotional or 

behavioral difficulties among children aged 

6–17 years in the United States, 2011–2012. 

NCHS data brief, no 148. Hyattsville, MD: 

National Center for Health Statistics. 2014.

Copyright information

All material appearing in this report is in 

the public domain and may be reproduced 

or copied without permission; citation as to 

source, however, is appreciated.

National Center for Health 

Statistics

Charles J. Rothwell, M.S., M.B.A., Director

Jennifer H. Madans, Ph.D., Associate 

Director for Science

Division of Health Interview Statistics

Jane F. Gentleman, Ph.D., Director

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