2025 Children's of Alabmama Community Health Needs Assessment

As mentioned previously, those who do not work with children are the only response group to not list mental health/behavioral issues as their top issue. These respondents identified child abuse as the top issue. Although the mean score of 3.2 means a wider variance of answers among those respondents. See Table 8.

Table 8. Top Health Issue by Other Response Categories Category n Issue

Mean

Birmingham MS A

437 Mental health/behavioral issues 335 Mental health/behavioral issues 537 Mental health/behavioral issues 235 Mental health/behavioral issues 360 Mental health/behavioral issues 397 Mental health/behavioral issues 415 Mental health/behavioral issues 78 Mental health/behavioral issues 269 Mental health/behavioral issues 570 Mental health/behavioral issues

2.4 2.8 2.5 2.9 2.6 2.6 2.2 3.2 3.0 2.4 3.2

Outside the Birmingham MS A

Urba n

Rura l

Parent of a minor chil d

Not the parent of a minor chil d

Healthcare Professiona l

Educato r

Other professional rol e Works with childre n

Does not work with childre n

79 Child abuse

SURVEY RESPONSES COMPARED TO EXTERNAL DATA

Survey responses largely align with national and state-level data on health issues facing children. Mental health concerns are widely recognized. VOICES for Alabama’s Children reports 30,008 children with serious mental health issues receiving mental health services. 15 The number should likely be much higher, as Alabama faces provider shortages in youth mental health care—the state’s population-to-mental-health-provider ratio is 797:1, (nearly twice as bad as Jefferson County’s 443:1). The prevalence of suicide and suicide ideation also points to the mental health challenges facing children. This issue is explored in the Childhood Safety section. While mental health is no doubt a concern, the issue could also be something of a self-fulfilling prophecy. Survey responses regarding mental health and screentime/social media exposure could also reflect greater cultural awareness rather than direct experience. Community members’ emphasis on healthcare access as a child health issue is also borne out by data. Although 96.7% of Alabama children have some form of health insurance, 16 coverage does not mean access. Fifty-five of Alabama’s 67 counties are considered rural—and many of those are considered “healthcare deserts” for pediatrics. A 2020 analysis found that despite high coverage, rural Alabama lacks practicing pediatricians and specialists; health facilities and services are declining in many areas. 17 While the report is dated, the reality the report describes has altered little. “Most families are eligible for Medicaid, but if they can’t get to providers, that’s a problem.” — Pickens provider

______________________________________ 15 Alabama Profile” 2024 Kids Count Data Book. Voices for Alabama’s Children. https://alavoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Alabama_Profile.pdf#: ~:text=Trend%20_%20Poor%20Mental%20Health,797%3A1%20Children%20With%20Serious%20Emotional 16 “Alabama Profile” 2024 Kids Count Data Book. Voices for Alabama’s Children. https://alavoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Alabama_Profile.pdf#: ~:text=Trend%20_%20Poor%20Mental%20Health,797%3A1%20Children%20With%20Serious%20Emotional 17 Covered but Not Cared For: Identifying Pediatric Deserts in Alabama and Interventions to Affect Change. Voices for Alabama’s Children. March 2020. https://alavoices. org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Pediatric-Deserts.pdf#:~:text=the%20data%20and%20determine%20which,to%20public%20health%20venues%20like

Children’s of Alabama, 2025 CHNA

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