Katherine Twomey, Junior
A new report from the CDC containing data about the mental health of teenagers has revealed some alarming results, especially about teen girls. According to the report, almost 1⁄3 of teen girls said that they had seriously considered suicide during that year (2021), which is a nearly 60% increase from the previous decade. Additionally, almost 3/5 teen girls reported having debilitating depression symptoms for at least two weeks. There was also an increase in the number of girls who said they had experienced sexual harassment and/or violence and who were using drugs and alcohol. LGBTQ teens and teens of color were also found to be struggling more in several areas.
The COVID pandemic is believed to be one of the biggest causes of worsening mental health in teens. It brought a time of great stress and isolation for everyone and also caused an increase in domestic violence. Teens were cut off from friends and activities, and students were cut off from their school communities. Negative social media experiences, the contentious political climate of the past few years, and the recent prevalence of social justice issues have also worsened things. One of the most concerning parts of the report was the gender disparity recorded in the data. While some of it can be attributed to the fact that girls are more likely than boys to be open about mental health struggles, there are several factors that affect girls more than boys. Girls face more societal pressure and standards, especially on social media, are more likely to be bullied online, and endure more sexual violence than boys do. Additionally, girls are more likely to internalize negative feelings, while boys tend to lash out with aggression.
There are many ways to address these issues. First, we can increase access to mental health resources, which can include counseling in school, education on the topic, and making treatment more affordable. But, we should do more to address the roots of the problem as well. This means addressing sexual, gender-based, and racial violence. It includes fighting misogyny, racism, homophobia, and transphobia. It means building connections and community with students and their schools, destigmatizing mental health in men, and dismantling body standards for everyone. It means reducing the pressure on students in school and around getting into college.
Unless we address the problems in our society that are causing mental health problems, people are going to continue to struggle. Of course, not all mental illnesses are preventable, but a lot could be improved if we worked on fixing the causes rather than reacting to the problems they cause.