Seriously, over the past several years, the mental health of this nation’s youth has been increasingly stressed – only to be further challenged as growing a technological reliance and culminating in global events like the COVID – 19 pandemic. Now, for over 30-years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the CDC has been scientifically collecting data on the mental health of this nation’s youth. “It looks like the sweeping efforts of parents, schools, and our partners across the country are starting to pay dividends.
The Up and Down Course of the Youth Mental Health Crisis The CDC was already concerned about the trends in 2019 of the mental health of youths, particularly those in grades 9-12. The COVID pandemic began in 2020 and worsened this situation, with the CDC tracking the continued decline of youth mental health.
The downward trend is a phenomenon Scott A. Roth, PsyD—a school psychologist—experienced among the students in his school firsthand, as this unsettling revelation surrounding the mental health of adolescents potentially served as precipitating factors for new mental health diagnoses within the wave of high-profile events that captured public attention. These findings from the CDC provided a sign of hope for Dr. Roth, regarding a shift in course.
“With things like school violence, mass shootings, the pandemic, there’s just been a much better focal awareness on signs of mental illness and what to do about it,” Dr. Roth said. “In some cases, maybe what would be considered ‘normal stressors’ have been pathologized out of fear that they might signal something more serious leading to an uptick in diagnoses and treatments.
” Although there might have been some tempering of this trend, according to Hertz, other contributing factors are enhanced access to mental health services and efforts to foster a sense of belonging and connectedness within schools.
“Students are no longer just seen as data points or test scores,” she said. “They really believe the school community is invested in their well-being, and they have adults they trust with whom they can talk through problems both in and outside of school.
“We’re in a phase where females, in general, are more comfortable seeking help,” reflects Dr. Roth. “Whether family members, friends or professionals, females seem to have broader support networks, which act as a protective factor. Male students may still be grappling with outdated gender stereotypes of toughness and stoicism. While I am seeing changes, they may not be happening as quickly as I would prefer.” Dr. Roth goes further to describe how the mental health challenges in trans and non-binary students are much worse, “severely exacerbated by bullying and school violence”.
The CDC report mirrors slight decreases in those persistently sad or hopeless Hispanic students (46 % to 42 %), poor mental health (30 to 26), or seriously considering suicide (22 to 18).
Similar reductions were also reflected in the findings of the Black students where there was a decrease in percentage of suicide attempts from 14% to 10% and a decrease in the percentage of injuries due to suicide attempts from 4% to 2%.
Challenges and the Road Ahead
While most of the data gave an optimistic note, the CDC did continue to report that there was an increment in the percentage of students who reported having been bullied at school. The same increased from 15% to 19%.
Bullying is, according to Dr. Roth, a serious behavior with very serious physical and mental ramifications, these recently being heightened by the rise of online interactions.
“Conflicts rarely happen in a vacuum anymore. They’re often influenced by messaging, social media, and bullying through technology,” he said. “I also believe that with better reporting, and the legal implications for schools if they don’t investigate and take reports seriously, means that more incidents are now ‘reportable. The mask of social media’s anonymity, of course, means it can also be more frequent and more extreme.
” As a matter of fact, when most of the students were undertaking online studies, the CDC saw a sharp decline in cases of bullying „
“What we found in 2023, is that it was back to normal levels,” Hertz says Parenting Tips
CDC is continuing to monitor this information to help inform decisions concerning young people in educational and other settings and to support parents and caregivers.
From the moment a child can express their feelings verbally, Dr. Roth states that when a parent is “emotionally present” that’s it.
“As parents, it’s important to be part of our children’s emotional development from an early start,” he says. “We don’t necessarily have to ‘be the fixer’ of everything. However, we need to give them the tools to deal with problems on their own. We also must not raise a generation that can’t handle tough issues.”
This article was originally published on parents. Read the original article.
FAQs
What findings did CDC make on youth health?
The CDC’s new data shows minor decreases in severe anxiety and depression in teens, an increase in understanding mental health problems, and the number of young people going for the mental health services.
How the pandemic has impacted the mental health of young people ?
The pandemic only exacerbated such mental health issues, since it shattered daily routines, led to newfound social isolation, and fostered a milieu of uncertainty. But, on the other hand, young people access those realizations and resources in the domain of mental health relatively often, which is now often proving to have good effects.
How is youth mental health supported with technology?
Technology impacts youth mental health in a dual manner—while stress is added due to exposure to poor social media content, solutions are on its platform for mental health through apps, telehealth services, and digital peer support networks that make help easier and more available.
What role and impact can schools have on improving youth mental health?
Schools can participate in the efforts through mental health programs, counseling services available to the students, mental health integrated into the curriculum, and a nurturing school environment to instill the culture of approachability.
What can a parent do for the better mental condition of the child?
A lot can be done by parents: regularly discussing the mental health of their child, listening and understanding children’s needs, teaching their child to build healthy coping mechanisms, and consulting a professional when need be.