America's Children: Parents Report Estimated 2.7 Million Children with Emotional and Behavioral Problems
A special feature in the report America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being 2005 shows that nearly 5 percent — or an estimated 2.7 million children — are reported by their parents to suffer from definite or severe emotional or behavioral difficulties, problems that may interfere with their family life, their ability to learn, and their formation of friendships. These difficulties may persist throughout a child's development and lead to lifelong disability, including more serious illness, more difficult to treat illness, and co-occurring mental illnesses.
A summary of the findings is available on the ChildStats website.
