Statistics on teen mental health give reality to the declining conditions for our youth. Yet, these facts remain to be unrecognized, ignore and untreated.
According to the World Health Organization;
- Globally, one in seven 10-19-year-olds experience a mental disorder, accounting for 13% of the global burden of disease in this age group.
- Depression, anxiety and behavioral disorders are among the leading causes of illness and disability among adolescents.
- Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among 15-29 year-olds.
… Yet, these facts remain to be unrecognized, ignored and untreated.
According to Mental Health America;
- In 2023, 6.39% of youth (age 12-17) reported suffering from at least one major depressive episode in the past year. Major depressive episodes range from 12.57% in New Jersey to 21.13% in Oregon.
- 11.5% of youth (or over 2.7 million youth) are experiencing severe major depression.
- Rates of a severe major depressive episode were highest among youth who identified as more than one race.
- 6.34% of youth in the U.S. reported a substance use disorder in the past year.
- 2.85% are with alcohol while 4.85% are with illicit drugs. Within the US, these statistics range from 3.94% in the District of Columbia to 9.05% in Kansas.
According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Adolescent Behaviors and Experience Survey(ABES);
- The COVID-19 pandemic has had a seismic negative effect on mental health with teens being especially impacted.
- More than 1 in 3 high school students experienced poor mental health during the pandemic and nearly half of students felt persistently sad or hopeless.
- Female students and those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, other or questioning (LGBQ) are experiencing disproportionate levels of poor mental health and suicide-related behaviors. In 2021, 12% of female students and more than 25% of LGBQ students attempted suicide, compared to 5% of their male peers and 5% of their heterosexual peers, respectively.
- LGBQ teens were far more likely to report physical abuse, with 20% reporting that they had been physically abused by a parent or other adult in their home.
- Black students were most likely to report hunger, with nearly a third reporting that there was not enough food in their home during the pandemic.
The American Psychological Association states that the COVID-19 pandemic ushered in a new set of challenges for our youth with the United States surgeon general declaring a mental health crisis. However teen mental health had been suffering for far longer, showing signs of decline much before the pandemic.
In addition to the social isolation and academic disruption nearly all children and teens faced, many also lost caregivers, had a parent lose their job, or were victims of physical or emotional abuse at home.
More psychologists are advocating and developing new solutions for families, in schools and for state level policies. They are exploring ways to improve clinical training policies to support the most vulnerable children and teens.
Psychologists are also behind new mental health recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a group of volunteer health professionals who evaluate evidence on various preventive health services. The task force now recommends regular anxiety screenings for youth ages 8 to 18 and regular depression screenings for adolescents ages 12 to 18.
Also bringing into light, is that biology has been changing. It appears to play a role in the increased anxiety and depression among teens. The age of puberty has been dropping for decades, especially in girls, leading to higher difficulty in coping skills and processing feelings. (Eckert-Lind, C., et al., JAMA Pediatrics, Vol. 174, No. 4, 2020). In early puberty, regions of the brain linked to emotions and social behavior are developing more quickly than regions responsible for the cognitive control of behavior. Young minds are simply not capable of keeping up with young biology.
In the 2022 Pew Research Center survey found that only about half of U.S. public schools offer mental health assessments. Fewer than that offer counseling services. Psychologists among organizations are advocating to better equip schools in this manner.
The consequences of failing to address adolescent mental health conditions extend into adulthood, severely impairing both physical and mental health, then limiting opportunities for teens to grow into fulfilling lives as adults.
For referrals and guidance with treatment programs worldwide, contact Therapeutic Educational Consulting here.
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Photo credit, Rudzhan Nagiev
