The height of the pandemic triggered waves of anxiety and emotional stress for isolated young people across the country, including those in California. But long before COVID was a common term, the need for greater access to youth mental health services in the Golden State had been growing.
Between 2016 and 2020, the percentage of children ages 3 to 17 in California diagnosed with anxiety or depression skyrocketed 70%, according to data analyzed by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, only South Dakota experienced a more dramatic rise during that period. And the pandemic was just beginning.
