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Published August 28, 2014

About 70 percent of U.S. teens who have serious emotional or behavioral difficulties receive mental health services that don't involve taking medications, such as counseling, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The researchers looked at U.S. teens with mental health problems and at those individuals' use of services that don't involve drugs (nonmedication services), between 2010 and 2012. These services include any treatment or counseling provided in the school, childcare center, clinic, home or other places. Such treatment also includes attending a school or special school program for students with emotional or behavioral difficulties.

About 4 percent of all adolescents ages 12 to 17 had a serious mental health problem and had received nonmedication services in the previous six months, according to the report, which was released today (Aug. 27). It is estimated that about 6 percent of teenagers in the United States have mental health problems, according to previous reports, which asked parents whether their children had severe difficulties in concentration, behavior, emotions or getting along with other people. [10 Facts Every Parent Should Know About Their Teen's Brain]

"There are many nonmedication mental health services that have evidence that they are effective for treating mental health disorders, so it is important to know whether teens are receiving services," said Dr. David Axelson, chief of psychiatry at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, who wasn't involved with the new report.

The findings show that "the majority of kids do receive some kind of service, which is positive," Axelson told Live Science. "However, it would be best if all youth with significant mental or behavioral health problems received nonmedication treatment appropriate for their condition."

Depending on the severity of the mental health problem, sometimes nonmedication treatments may have to be combined with medications to help the patient. "However, I think all mental or behavior health problems should have some form of counseling or nonmedication approach, even if medication is the primary treatment," Axelson said.

Previous studies from the CDC have found that about 7.5 percent of U.S. children and teenagers report taking prescription drugs for mental health problems, and that medication use is higher among boys than girls.

The new report shows that boys are more likely than girls to get counseling, too. About 75 percent of boys with mental health problems received counseling, compared with 65 percent of girls.

The results also showed that about half of teenagers who received counseling did so at school. About 40 percent of teens were counseled at a clinic, and 12 percent received the treatment at home.

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Two-thirds of US teens with mental health problems get counseling

European nations can cut billions of euros from citizens power bills using psychology to nudge them into consuming less, says energy-management business Opower Inc. (OPWR)

Using data and behavioral-science insights, popularized in the book Nudge by Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein, utilities can cut consumption as much as 3 percent, Opower said.

The reduction, across an entire population, has a greater impact than programs like those that spur use of double glazing or insulation and are only taken up by a fraction of people.

Theres growing momentum for energy efficiency obligations in Europe, John Webster, head of marketing in the region, said in an interview in London. An Italian incentive to use behavioral science has been a huge market opener for the company, while Denmark and Ireland also encourage measures.

Opower uses data from utilities to analyze customer habits and tailor recommendations on how to cut use. The company, with clients including EON SE and Electricite de France SA, can send households reports comparing usage with neighbors. It can also offer early warning if theyre using more energy than normal and alert customers to rewards for curbing demand at peak times.

When users have smart meters that offer more detailed information, Opower can provide reports with such more details such as which appliances use the most energy. Reducing demand by customers helps utilities by curtailing the need to bring expensive plants reserved for peak demand on line.

European energy consumers could save 2.4 billion euros ($3.2 billion) a year through behavioural-efficiency programs, Opower said in a report on June 12. The company is calling on European Union governments to reward utilities for using the technology and analysis it produces, and spur energy savings.

Germany could gain annual savings of more than 500 million euros, France more than 325 million euros and the U.K. almost 300 million euros, according to Opower.

The cost of achieving the savings would be 3 euro cents to 7 euro cents per kilowatt-hour saved, according to Emily Hallet, associate director at Opower. That compares with German retail power prices of about 30 cents per kilowatt-hour consumed and prices elsewhere in Europe of 20 cents to 25 cents, she said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Alex Morales in London at amorales2@bloomberg.net

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Nudging Can Save Europe Billions of Euros on Energy Bills