Students are facing an unprecedented mental health crisis.
According to a 2021 Youth Risk Behavior survey conducted by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), "persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness increased from 2011 to 2021."
This jump was large:
in 2011, 21% of surveyed male students reported persistent sadness or hopelessness while 36% of female students reported the same.
in 2021, 29% of male students and 57% of female students reported feeling persistently sad or hopeless, for an average of 42% of all students surveyed.
Educators must understand the mental health challenges facing the students they are serving, especially when nearly half of all students are experiencing persistent sadness or hopelessness.
Additionally, this survey by the CDC found alarming statistics regarding overall student mental health and suicide rates:
29% of students experienced poor mental health in the 30 days prior to the survey.
22% of high school students seriously considered attempting suicide, with 30% of females and 14% of males.
*Statistics from "Youth Risk Behavior Survey" (CDC, 2021).
So why are students feeling this way?
Students have new, unfamiliar challenges that adults may not even be recognizing.
In a survey conducted by Common Sense Media and reported on by Claire Cain-Miller of the New York Times, our current political climate is causing fear and frustration for many young people.
New voters have only had two primary options: Biden and Trump.
"[N]early two-thirds of respondents 12 to 17 said politicians and elected officials did not reflect the needs and experiences of young people."
Only 7% of respondents think that politicians are adequately representing young people in the government.
Students are also feeling dissatisfied with our public schooling:
"...one in five, said improving or reforming the education system" would be a significant improvement in their lives.
Learning loss from the COVID-19 pandemic is a problem, according to 60% of respondents.
Only 25% feel as though schooling is adequately preparing them for their futures.
Unsurprisingly, the COVID-19 pandemic was a large contributor to poor youth mental health.
"During the first full calendar year of the pandemic, approximately 1 in 5 adolescents had MDD [Major Depressive Disorder]" (Flores et al., 2023).
The isolation associated with the pandemic sparked feelings of loneliness and depression for many young people.
Mental health was already on the decline for students, but the pandemic exacerbated this issue (Stone, 2023).
Climate change is also pressing on students, causing extra anxiety over the future of our planet.
According to a survey conducted by international researchers, 59% of young people ages 16-25 are feeling extremely worried about our climate (Hickman et al., 2021).
"Over 50% felt sad, anxious, angry, powerless, helpless, and guilty (Marks et al., 2021).
Young people are carrying the burden of climate change, despite it not being their fault.
*Statistics from:
Today's Teenagers: Anxious About Their Futures and Disillusioned by Politicians (Cain-Miller, 2023)
Why America Has a Youth Mental Health Crisis, and How Schools Can Help (Stone, 2023)
Estimates of Major Depressive Disorder and Treatment Among Adolescents by Race and Ethnicity (Flores et al., 2023)
Young People's Voices on Climate Anxiety, Government Betrayal and Moral Injury: A Global Phenomenon (Hickman et al., 2021).