About this series

With rates of depression, anxiety and suicide rising among children in Georgia and across the nation, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution explored whether kids in crisis could get the medical care they needed to get better. The AJC studied years of hospital admission statistics, inspection records, police reports, court records, recordings of state government hearings and public health data to try to understand how Georgia’s system worked. The AJC also interviewed mental health providers who work in the system, families whose children needed crisis care, hospital executives in multiple states and policymakers who are looking for solutions. In the interest of medical privacy, the AJC is not identifying children and teens in this series by name.

Readers who would like to share their own experiences related to behavioral and mental health services for children and teens can email investigative reporter Carrie Teegardin at cteegardin@ajc.com.