--- title: Pediatric Behavioral Health Spending Rising Dramatically description: In 2022, national spending on behavioral health care for children ages 6 to 17 was nearly $42 billion—including nearly $3 billion in out-of-pocket spending from families. image: https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/mobile_payments_iStock-2217860588.jpg --- 12/15/25 3:33 PM # Pediatric Behavioral Health Spending Rising Dramatically ![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [ Psychiatric News Alert ](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) Share: [facebook-f icon ](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://alert.psychnews.org/pediatric-behavioral-health-spending-rising-dramatically) [linkedin-in icon ](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://alert.psychnews.org/pediatric-behavioral-health-spending-rising-dramatically) [Twitter icon ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://alert.psychnews.org/pediatric-behavioral-health-spending-rising-dramatically) [pinterest-p icon ](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/link/?url=https://alert.psychnews.org/pediatric-behavioral-health-spending-rising-dramatically) [envelope icon ](mailto:?body=https://alert.psychnews.org/pediatric-behavioral-health-spending-rising-dramatically) ![mobile_payments_iStock-2217860588](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/mobile_payments_iStock-2217860588.jpg?width=220&height=124&name=mobile_payments_iStock-2217860588.jpg)In 2022, national spending on behavioral health care for children ages 6 to 17 was nearly $42 billion—including nearly $3 billion in out-of-pocket spending from families—according to a [report](https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2842604) published today in *JAMA Pediatrics*. That $42 billion represented 40% of all pediatric health care expenditures, nearly twice as much as in 2011.   **Why It’s Relevant** The dramatic rise in behavioral health care spending for children, particularly out-of-pocket spending, is adding financial strain to many families while also revealing continued gaps in mental health parity and the availability of in-network mental health care. ** ** **By the Numbers** ** ** - Between 2011 and 2022, **out-of-pocket spending for pediatric behavioral health** rose by 6.4% annually—from $2.1 to $2.9 billion. In contrast, non-behavioral out-of-pocket costs rose by 2.7% annually. - Overall **pediatric behavioral health expenditures** rose from about $18 billion in 2011 to $41.8 billion in 2022. - Spending on **in-person and telehealth outpatient visits increased **from 2011-2022, while spending on medications decreased and spending on emergency department or inpatient services remained stable. - All expenditure values were adjusted for inflation.** ** **What’s More** ** ** Families who had at least one child receiving behavioral health care were about 40% more likely than those without to experience **extreme financial burden**—defined as 10% or more of income devoted to out-of-pocket medical costs. ** ** **The Other Side** The data come from the 2011-2022 Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys, which are based on caregiver recall and diary entries; this may lead to underestimation or overestimation of actual spending. Also, because many children with psychiatric illness have medical comorbidities, not all spending may have been specific to behavioral health.   **Takeaway Message** “To ensure that growing behavioral health spending delivers value, future policy and research should study relationships between cost and spending, use, and outcomes while advancing equitable, affordable access to needed behavioral health care,” the researchers wrote.   **Related Information** [Access to In-Network Mental Health Care Still Lags Far Behind Other Medical Care](https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.pn.2024.06.6.5)   **Source** Expenditures for pediatric behavioral health care over time and estimated family financial burden. *JAMA Pediatrics.* Published December 15, 2025. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2025.5181   (Image: Getty Images/iStock/Phynart Studio)   [pediatrics](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/pediatrics), [outpatient care](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/outpatient-care), [behavioral health](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/behavioral-health), [out of pocket costs](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/out-of-pocket-costs), [insurance coverage](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/insurance-coverage), [medical spending](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/medical-spending) ## Related Posts [![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/shutterstock_64541557-Jun-24-2025-10-37-58-4968-PM.jpg?height=200&name=shutterstock_64541557-Jun-24-2025-10-37-58-4968-PM.jpg) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/09/iom-report-cites-750-billion-in-health.html) ## [IOM Report Cites $750 Billion in Health Spending Waste](https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/09/iom-report-cites-750-billion-in-health.html) 9/7/12 12:00 AM [ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/09/iom-report-cites-750-billion-in-health.html) [![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/shutterstock_59814490-Jun-24-2025-06-29-08-5299-PM.jpg?height=200&name=shutterstock_59814490-Jun-24-2025-06-29-08-5299-PM.jpg) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/08/health-law-costs-will-be-lower-because.html) ## [Health Law Costs Will Be Lower Because of Supreme Court Ruling](https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/08/health-law-costs-will-be-lower-because.html) 8/3/12 12:00 AM [ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/08/health-law-costs-will-be-lower-because.html) [![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/apa_logo-Jun-24-2025-05-27-04-3192-PM.jpg?height=200&name=apa_logo-Jun-24-2025-05-27-04-3192-PM.jpg) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2020/03/apa-praises-congress-for-passing.html) ## [APA Praises Congress for Passing Emergency COVID-19 Funding, Authorizing Lifting of Telemedicine Restrictions](https://alert.psychnews.org/2020/03/apa-praises-congress-for-passing.html) 3/5/20 12:00 AM [ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2020/03/apa-praises-congress-for-passing.html) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Psychiatric News Alert", "url" : "https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert" }, "dateModified" : "2025-12-15T20:33:51.904Z", "datePublished" : "2025-12-15T20:33:51.000Z", "headline" : "Pediatric Behavioral Health Spending Rising Dramatically", "image" : [ "https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/mobile_payments_iStock-2217860588.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://alert.psychnews.org/pediatric-behavioral-health-spending-rising-dramatically", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/PN-Blue-Box.jpg" } } } ```