Survey: Some Ohio mothers have difficulty finding child mental health care

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A new survey of mothers across the country, including in Ohio, reveals deep concerns about children’s mental health and major barriers to getting the care they need.

The report, Pulse Check 2025: Mothers on Child Mental Health Impacts, Care, and Support, comes from the mental health advocacy organization Inseparable and the nonpartisan research group Count on Mothers. It found that 56% of moms nationwide worry about their kids’ mental health, and one in four families reported being unable to access help when they needed it.

“It was a majority of mothers, and no matter how we sliced and diced the data across all the states, across the entire political affinity spectrum, income brackets, insurance types, mothers were really worried,” said Kathleen Daugherty, senior vice president of campaigns and communications at Inseparable.

In Ohio, 22.7% of mothers, or about one in five, said they couldn’t get care for their child when needed, with time as the biggest barrier. Nationally, 51% of mothers cited cost as their primary obstacle, despite 96% of families having insurance coverage.

“Children’s mental health struggles are widespread and urgent,” said Jennifer Bransford, founder of Count on Mothers. “We found that cost, insurance issues, and scheduling barriers make it hard for parents to get their kids the care they need.”

Alexis Gollihue, a single mother of four in Ohio, said the findings reflect her own experience.

“I’m a single mom, so to make time to take them outside of school hours that, you know, that’s rough sometimes,” she told 10TV. “It’s normally around the same time I work or it’s the same time they’re in school, so now they’re missing school. I do worry a lot about that.”

She added, “It’s a rough time to be a kid and to be a parent.”

The survey was based on responses from 2,700 mothers across the U.S., designed to represent different states, income levels, and political backgrounds.

It also found that families with private insurance face greater barriers to care than those with Medicaid. 

Of the moms who reported being unable to access adequate care, 80% had private insurance, compared with 13% on Medicaid. 

“Mothers are saying they’re unable to access the care their kids need — and that private insurance is failing their families,” Bransford added.

Nationwide, the majority of mothers said that what would help most is expanding school-based care. One in three reported difficulty accessing counselors or psychologists in schools.

Gollihue agreed, saying, “I don’t understand why we’re not able to have them or even other counselors come into schools to help these kids, cause, especially having a middle schooler, that’s a rough time for them.”

The survey also found that half of mothers struggle with their own mental health, with time as the top barrier.

Advocates say listening to parents is critical. 

“When our children are struggling with mental health issues, it affects their academic outcomes, their physiological outcomes, their relational outcomes, their overall well-being. It affects the future of our country,” Bransford said.

The groups behind the survey plan to share the findings with state and federal policymakers.

“We feel a lot of hope because at the state level in particular, we’re seeing lawmakers on both sides of the aisle take up this issue,” Daugherty said. “Mental health is being talked about in a way that has never been before, and people on both sides of the aisle are identifying solutions and passing them as laws.”