A Worsening Mental Health Crisis

A National Crisis Deepens

The pandemic has dealt a major blow to youth mental health

by Steven Ross Johnson 

G

OVERNMENT analyses are providing a troubling look at how America’s youth have suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic. One examination of data from a nationally representative survey of high school students taken during the first half of 2021 found that 37% of students said they experienced poor mental health either most of the time or always during the pandemic, with more than 31% of students saying they’d struggled in the past 30 days.

At least 44% of students reported feeling persistently sad or hopeless over the past year, with nearly 20% saying they’d seriously considered suicide; 9% reported attempting suicide during that time period.

The analysis was one of several research studies published in April 2022 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Nearly 20% of students said they’d seriously considered suicide.

“These data echo a cry for help,” Dr. Debra Houry, the CDC’s acting principal deputy director, said in a statement. “The COVID-19 pandemic has created traumatic stressors that have the potential to further erode students’ mental well-being. Our research shows that surrounding youth with the proper support can reverse these trends and help our youth now and in the future.”

Notably, feeling connected to others at school influenced whether students reported experiencing poor mental health. Stronger social ties seemed to help shield kids from suicidal thoughts or attempts. Even a virtual sense of social connectedness to family and friends through phones or computers offered a buffer, the researchers found.

“Comprehensive strategies that improve connections with others at home, in the community, and at school might foster improved mental health among youths during and after the pandemic,” the researchers wrote.

Unequal toll. A particularly large disparity in mental health status was observed between heterosexual students and those who identified as lesbian, gay or bisexual. More than three-quarters of lesbian, gay and bisexual high school students reported having persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness compared with 37% of students who identified as heterosexual. More than a quarter of gay, lesbian and bisexual students said they attempted suicide in the past 12 months, compared with just 5% of heterosexual students. A companion analysis also found that more than half of students reported experiencing emotional abuse by a parent or other adult in the home during the pandemic – such as being insulted or sworn at – while 11% said they were physically abused. Roughly 29% experienced a parent or adult in their home losing a job amid the pandemic. Extreme stress. Additional findings showed that about 1 in 3 students reported using illicit drugs and alcohol more than they had before the pandemic, and that approximately one-third of students reported being treated badly or unfairly in school due to their race or ethnicity in their lifetime. About two-thirds of Asian students and more than half of both Black and multiracial students said they experienced what researchers called “perceived racism.”

The findings offer additional evidence pointing to a worsening mental health crisis among America’s youth. Data predating the pandemic, for example, found that persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness among high school students increased by approximately 40% from 2009 to 2019.

“Young people and their families have been under incredible levels of stress during the pandemic,” Kathleen Ethier, director of the CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health, said in a spring 2022 call with reporters. “Our data exposes cracks and uncovers an important layer of insight into the extreme disruptions that some youth have encountered.”

Dr. Jonathan Mermin, director of the National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, said the pandemic’s impact on youth mental health will be felt well after the outbreak itself is over. “Together,” he said, “we can mitigate its negative effects, increase health equity and create a healthier future for all youth.” l