South Carolina school-based mental health counselors numbers double

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO)– The number of school-based mental health counselors in South Carolina schools has doubled over the past year., according to the governor’s office and the State Department of Health and Human Services.

A 2023 survey says there were more than 12 hundred mental health professionals in schools compared to around 600 the previous year.

Governor McMaster says the increase show’s the state’s commitment to battling the mental health crisis facing young people in South Carolina and across the country.

“In just the past two years, we have made significant progress in providing school-based mental health services to school-aged children,” said Governor McMaster.

SCDHHS Director Kerr said the progress was achieved by adopting a collaborative approach between state agencies, local school districts and the private sector.

“With an ongoing mental health crisis, especially among our young people, it is critical that we continue to build upon these efforts and ensure mental health resources are available and accessible to our state’s children,” stated the governor.

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Key Youth Behavioral Health Statistics

• According to a recent report from the Boston Consulting Group, 77% of youth in South Carolina with a major depressive episode do not receive any mental health treatment. This is well above the national average of 60%.
• According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, youth suicide has increased significantly from 2007 through 2021. Suicide rates for Americans ages 10 to 24 rose 62%.
• Nationally, the number of mental health visits in pediatric emergency departments increased from 7.7% of all encounters in 2011 to 13.1% in 2020.
• According to the South Carolina School Behavioral Health Academy, children are 21 times more likely to access mental health services in schools than in any other setting.
• In 2021, national data indicates 30% of female high school students seriously considered suicide, an increase from 24.1% in 2019, according to the CDC.
• In 2021, national data indicates 13.3% of female high school students attempted suicide, an increase from 11% in 2019, according to the CDC.
• High school students with depression are more than twice as likely to drop out than their peers.
• Suicide is the third leading cause of death for South Carolinians between ages 10-14.
• Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death for South Carolinians between ages 15-17.