Mental health of teens in the United States has improved after the pandemic, CDC data shows. (Image: iStock)
A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has shown that levels of sadness are improving among some American teenagers, especially among girls. adolescent mental health has improved in the years since the pandemic. The new data is drawn from the CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey, which is a report on sexual behavior, substance use, violent experiences, and Mental health Among students in grades nine through 12, the survey measures these experiences across six demographic groups, including gender, sexual identity, race, ethnicity and grade, and began in 1990.
Hedy Chang, executive director of Attendance Works, a nonprofit working to reduce chronic absenteeism, told reporters, “I was happy to see a small improvement.” She added, “I think schools heard the message that they needed to invest more in social-emotional support and a sense of belonging.”
Dr. Debra Houry, CDC’s chief medical officer and deputy director for programs and science, said in a statement: “The data released today show improvements across a range of metrics that measure youth mental well-being — progress we can build on.”
The report includes data from 2023 and provides the first update to the survey since 2021. Hispanic students also reported a drop in feelings of persistent sadness. There was a drop from 46% to 42%, lower rates of poor mental health health (from 30% to 26%), and decreases in those who seriously considered attempting suicide (from 22% to 18%) and those who made a suicide plan (from 19% to 16%). Black students were also significantly less likely to report a suicide attempt in this survey (from 14% to 10%).
Overall, the number of students reporting persistent feelings of sadness has decreased from 42% to 40%. The number of female students feeling the same has also decreased, from 57% to 53%.
However, despite this improvement, other challenges remain. The report highlighted disparities in youth mental health experienced by girls and LGBTQ+ students. LGBTQ+ youth face similar disparities, with three in five experiencing persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness.
This development comes at a time when health disorders among children and adolescents are on the rise. According to studies, at least one in five children suffer from stress, anxiety and depression, but they are rarely identified or diagnosed. Experts believe that all children feel down or depressed at some point, which is a natural part of growing up, but it can be worrying when they are felt intensely for prolonged periods, particularly if they affect the child’s social, family and school life.
It is important to talk to children about mental health because otherwise, they will get the information from someone or somewhere else. That source may not be reliable or accurate. There are many stigmas associated with a teenager’s mental health and parents or family members can always break them.
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