Behavioral health spending spikes to 40% of all children’s health expenditures, nearly doubling in a decade

Medical Xpress December 15, 2025
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago

Behavioral health care has 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 published in JAMA Pediatrics. Researchers found that pediatric behavioral health expenditures totaled $41.8 billion in 2022, with families paying $2.9 billion out-of-pocket. Most concerning, out-of-pocket costs for children’s behavioral health increased at more than twice the rate of other medical expenses, leaving many families struggling with significant financial burden.

Rising costs and family financial burden

The study analyzed data on nationally representative spending patterns for U.S. children ages 6–17 from 2011 to 2022. Researchers found that pediatric behavioral health out-of-pocket spending increased 6.4% annually, compared to 2.7% annually for non-behavioral health medical...

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