More than four in five Georgia parents want universal mental health screenings in schools, and nearly as many favor treatment there, according to a new Emory Center for Child Health Policy poll of 1,002 parents. The second annual State of Child Health and Well-Being in Georgia report pairs that backing with high rates of both diagnosed and potentially undiagnosed ADHD, anxiety and depression among school-aged children.
The findings land as schools already serve as a partial care site for many kids who do get help, while national data show large treatment gaps and only about one-third of U.S. public schools mandate screening.
What the Emory Poll Found
Researchers released the results as part of the 2026 statewide report. Parents reported ADHD/ADD affecting 29 percent of school-aged children (19.9 percent diagnosed plus 9.5 percent potentially undiagnosed). Anxiety stood at 23 percent (10.7 percent diagnosed, 12 percent undiagnosed). Depression reached 15 percent (5.1 percent diagnosed, 9.8 percent undiagnosed).
On solutions, 83 percent support universal mental health screenings in schools and 78 percent support mental health treatment in schools. Among children already receiving treatment for diagnosed conditions, 40 percent rely at least partly on school-based services.
| Condition | Diagnosed | Potentially Undiagnosed | Total Parent-Reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| ADHD/ADD | 19.9% | 9.5% | 29% |
| Anxiety | 10.7% | 12% | 23% |
| Depression | 5.1% | 9.8% | 15% |
Dr. Stephen Patrick, chair of Emory’s Department of Health Policy and Management, called the work a “pulse check” from parents’ perspectives. “One of the interesting things that we found is the place where parents say they would like to see more treatment is in schools,” he said.
- 1,002 Georgia parents surveyed for the 2026 report
- 40% of treated children use school-based services at least partly
- Two in five U.S. school-aged children with mental or behavioral diagnoses go without treatment, per the Emory release
Schools Already Function as a Care Site
The poll shows parents see schools as a practical place to close gaps. Ben Druss, professor and Rosalynn Carter Chair in Mental Health at Rollins, said conditions such as anxiety and depression are highly treatable yet many problems remain undiagnosed or untreated. “There is an urgent need to expand screening for common mental disorders, and to ensure that those who screen positive get appropriate care,” Druss said. “Georgia’s school-based mental health (SBMH) services serve an essential role.”
That role is already real for the 40 percent of treated kids who touch school services. The report frames expanded screening and treatment as a way to catch undiagnosed cases parents themselves flag as concerns.
How the Apex Program Fits Today
Georgia already runs a dedicated pipeline. The Georgia Apex Program collaboration model, funded by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, places community mental health providers into schools from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. It aims to cut unmet needs through screening, assessment, counseling, therapy, staff training and referrals.
Providers operate across six regions covering North Georgia, East Georgia, Metro-Atlanta, South Georgia, Savannah and West Georgia. The program marked its tenth year in the 2024-2025 school year with evaluation work focused on earlier detection and better coordination. Parent support in the new Emory numbers effectively endorses scaling the same approach.
- Pre-K to 12: Apex serves the full school-age span
- Community providers + schools: Collaboration model rather than pure school-hire staff
- Training + direct care: Staff support plus services for students and families
The Mandate Runs Ahead of Capacity
Strong majorities give lawmakers and districts political cover. Yet the same poll shows large undiagnosed shares, especially for anxiety and depression. The 2025 Emory report had already found 63 percent of children with diagnosed mental or behavioral conditions were not receiving services. The new numbers add the undiagnosed layer on top.
Schools face staffing, space and time constraints. Recent state budget moves have directed extra dollars toward student mental health supports, including funds for districts serving students in poverty. Those increments sit beside recent Georgia health funding earmarks and longer debates over access. Expanding universal screening multiplies the number of positive flags that then need follow-up care, whether inside the building or through community referral.
Patrick said the dual goals are to broaden the conversation about kids’ needs and to facilitate community action. The second-order pressure is whether Apex slots, school counselors and outside therapists can keep pace once more families expect schools to deliver or coordinate care.
National Screening Rates and the Consent Friction
Nationally, a 2025 study of more than 1,000 principals found that 30.5 percent of principals report mandated screening for mental health problems in their schools or districts. That is up from roughly 13 percent of districts in 2016, yet still a minority. When students screen positive, most schools notify parents and offer in-person treatment or community referral, though many principals say connecting kids to appropriate care remains hard.
Illinois became the first state to require universal, cost-free mental health screenings in public schools for grades 3-12, set to phase in later. That step triggered sharp pushback from some parents and advocates who argue screenings can proceed without full guardian buy-in, create privacy risks or funnel children into services prematurely. Similar objections appear in online discussions: concerns that schools will treat parents as obstacles, or that early labeling will medicalize ordinary struggles.
Georgia’s poll shows broad current support. That support could hold if screening stays voluntary or tightly consent-based and if treatment slots actually exist. It could fray if expansion feels mandatory and under-resourced. The Emory numbers do not measure how parents would react once forms start going home or once waitlists lengthen.
These findings show that Georgia parents are concerned about their children’s mental health. While conditions such as anxiety disorders and depression are highly treatable, most parents report their children’s mental health problems have not been formally diagnosed or treated.
Ben Druss of Emory’s Rollins School of Public Health said that in the release accompanying the poll.
Where Access Problems Intersect Broader Health Rankings
Mental health sits inside larger access patterns. Georgia has struggled with overall healthcare rankings and coverage pathways for years. The same families who back school-based services often navigate Medicaid and PeachCare complexities, rural provider shortages and competing household pressures such as food insecurity that earlier Emory polls also tracked. School delivery can lower transportation and stigma barriers. It cannot by itself create more child psychiatrists or therapists.
The Emory Center for Child Health Policy polling is designed to put parent voice into those policy conversations. Patrick has framed the annual reports as tools for communities and lawmakers rather than end products. The 2026 mental health chapter makes the parent preference unmistakable while leaving the implementation math for districts, DBHDD and the legislature.
What the Support Leaves Open
The poll settles the preference question: large majorities of Georgia parents want more screening and treatment inside schools. It does not settle how fast Apex or district programs can grow, how consent and data privacy will be handled, or whether new funding will match the volume of newly identified kids. Nationally, only a minority of schools already mandate screening, and connecting positive screens to care remains uneven.
Georgia’s existing Apex infrastructure and recent budget line items give the state a running start. Parent backing removes one political obstacle. The next constraint is operational. High undiagnosed rates mean any serious expansion will surface demand that community and school systems have not fully met. How districts and providers answer that demand will decide whether the 83 percent and 78 percent figures turn into measurable gains for kids or into longer waitlists and renewed fights over the school’s role.
Those fights have already appeared in other states. Georgia’s numbers show the public appetite is there. Capacity and rules will determine the outcome.
Frequently Asked Questions
What percentage of Georgia parents support school mental health screenings?
The 2026 Emory poll found 83 percent of the 1,002 surveyed parents support universal mental health screenings in schools, with 78 percent supporting treatment services there as well.
How common are ADHD, anxiety and depression among Georgia school-aged children according to the poll?
Parents reported ADHD/ADD at 29 percent overall (19.9 percent diagnosed), anxiety at 23 percent (10.7 percent diagnosed) and depression at 15 percent (5.1 percent diagnosed), with substantial potentially undiagnosed shares in each category.
What is the Georgia Apex Program?
Apex is a DBHDD-funded initiative that partners community mental health providers with schools from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade to deliver screening, counseling, therapy, staff training and referrals aimed at reducing unmet mental health needs.
What share of U.S. public schools mandate mental health screening?
A 2025 national survey of principals published in JAMA Network Open found 30.5 percent reported that their district mandated screening for mental health problems, up from about 13 percent of districts in 2016.
Do many treated children already use school-based mental health services in Georgia?
Yes. Among Georgia children receiving treatment for diagnosed mental and behavioral health conditions, 40 percent rely at least partially on school-based services, according to the Emory report.
