State rankings

Age of Consent for Mental Health Treatment by State

Texas has the highest Age of Consent for Mental Health Treatment (18), followed by Georgia (18) and North Carolina (18). Arkansas has the lowest (12).

Law51 states · 2 metricsUpdated Jun 16, 2024Original page
55 sources
Age of Consent for Mental Health TreatmentBetter directionWhether a higher or a lower value is better. A green arrow means higher is better, a red arrow means lower is better, and no arrow means neither.More in the glossary →
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Age of Consent for Mental Health Treatment

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All 50 ranked

Highest first.

Distribution Median and middle halfThe median is the middle value: half of places are above it, half below. The middle half is the range holding the central 50% of places.More in the glossary →

Each dot is one state; the lines mark the median and the middle half.

Median
16
Middle half 14 – 18
Average
15.64
50 states
Highest
18
Texas
Lowest
12
Arkansas

Data

Click a column to sort, a row to highlight that place on the charts.

51 states · # = rank by Age of Consent for Mental Health Treatment
#
1Texas1816 if the person is living independently and managing their own financial affairs.
1Georgia18—
1North Carolina18—
1Washington18—
1Arizona18A minor can consent to health care services without a parent or guardian if they are married, emancipated or homeless.
1Tennessee18—
1Indiana18—
1Missouri18—
1Wisconsin18—
1Minnesota18—
1Iowa18—
1Mississippi18—
1Nebraska18—
1Maine18—
1North Dakota18—
1District of Columbia18—
1Wyoming18—
18New York16—
18Illinois16—
18New Jersey16—
18Massachusetts16—
18South Carolina16—
18Kentucky16—
18Louisiana16According to Louisiana's Children's Code (Ch. 11, Art. 1464. Voluntary admission of minors), "Any minor sixteen years of age or older may apply for voluntary admission to a [mental health] treatment facility", may be admitted formally or informally, and "shall have the same ri…
18Oklahoma16—
18New Hampshire16—
18Montana16—
18Rhode Island16—
18South Dakota16—
18Alaska16—
31Pennsylvania14—
31Ohio14—
31Michigan14—
31Alabama14—
31Oregon14—
31Utah14—
31Kansas14—
31New Mexico14—
31Idaho14—
31West Virginia14—
31Hawaii14—
31Delaware14—
31Vermont14—
44Florida13—
44Virginia13—
46California12—
46Maryland12—
46Colorado12Patients aged 12 and up can consent to outpatient mental health treatments, though inpatient treatments and prescriptions to psychotropic medications still require a minimum age of 15.
46Nevada12—
46Arkansas12If the attending professional deems the minor mature enough, they can participate in mental health treatment or counseling.
—Connecticut—The licensed provider can conduct a maximum of six outpatient mental health sessions for minors without parental consent, after which re-evaluation is necessary.

What correlates with Age of Consent for Mental Health Treatment?

Pearson r against 2,103 other state metrics sharing at least 30 states. Ranks are read by standing: a better rank counts as higher, whether rank 1 is the best place on a list or the worst. Correlation is not causation.

Higher together

Places that have a higher Age of Consent for Mental Health Treatment tend to score higher on these (or rank better)

  1. NCLEX Pass RateNCLEX Pass Rate by State
    r = +0.35 · moderate · n = 50
    Plot
  2. Direct CremationAverage Funeral Cost by State
    r = +0.35 · moderate · n = 50
    Plot
  3. SSI Internal Auditing ScoreMost Corrupt States
    r = +0.34 · moderate · n = 49
    Plot
  4. Corn ProductionCorn Production by State
    r = +0.34 · moderate · n = 31
    Plot
  5. Min AgeFree College Tuition for Seniors by State
    r = +0.34 · moderate · n = 50
    Plot
  6. Corn Production ValueCorn Production by State
    r = +0.34 · moderate · n = 41
    Plot

Opposite directions

Places that have a higher Age of Consent for Mental Health Treatment tend to score lower on these (or rank worse)

  1. Weather RankBest States to RetireA rank: rank 1 is the best
    r = +0.44 · moderate · n = 49
    Plot
  2. Active Duty Space ForceMilitary Members by State
    r = −0.43 · moderate · n = 37
    Plot
  3. Total EV IncentivesElectric Car Incentives by State
    r = −0.41 · moderate · n = 43
    Plot
  4. SolarElectricity Generation by State
    r = −0.40 · moderate · n = 42
    Plot
  5. DisabledSocial Security Disability Benefits by State
    r = −0.39 · moderate · n = 50
    Plot
  6. Median Federal Employee IncomeFederal Government Employees by State
    r = −0.38 · moderate · n = 49
    Plot

Quick answers

Which state has the highest Age of Consent for Mental Health Treatment?
Texas has the highest Age of Consent for Mental Health Treatment, at 18, followed by Georgia (18) and North Carolina (18).
Which state has the lowest Age of Consent for Mental Health Treatment?
Arkansas has the lowest Age of Consent for Mental Health Treatment, at 12.
What is the median Age of Consent for Mental Health Treatment across US states?
The median is 16 across the 50 US states with data.
Where does this age of consent for mental health treatment by state data come from?
Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: Consent to Medical and Surgical Care - State of Rhode Island General Assembly; State of Oklahoma, 1st Session of the 49th Legislature (2003) - Oklahoma State Legislature; Senate Bill 2765 - Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System; An Update on Minor’s Consent: Changes to the Law and Implications for COVID-19, Mpox, and Beyond - Coates’ Canons NC Local Government Law.