A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that young people’s mental health has improved in recent years, following a troubling period marked by increased sadness and hopelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The report, released last week, reveals a 2% decline in the number of high school students who reported feelings of sadness or hopelessness between 2021 and 2023. This rate decreased from 42% to 40%, marking the first year in over a decade that the annual Youth Risk Behavior Survey did not report a rise in these figures.

Despite this progress, mental health and behavior specialists caution that we shouldn’t declare victory just yet. The rates of young people feeling sad or hopeless remain alarmingly high, particularly among teenage girls, who saw a decrease from 57% down to 53% during the same period.

“We’ve shown some progress in addressing these challenges in recent years, indicating that they can be tackled,” stated Kathleen Ethier, director of the CDC’s adolescent and school health division. “However, there is still significant work to be done.”

Improvements observed

The latest report highlighted small yet significant advancements among students from marginalized backgrounds.

Over the past two years, 4% fewer Hispanic teens reported persistent sadness or hopelessness, poor mental health, and serious thoughts of suicide; additionally, there was a 3% drop in those making suicide plans.

Similarly, Black teens reported a 4% decrease in attempted suicides and a 2% drop in injuries resulting from such attempts.

Ariana Hoet, a pediatric psychologist and executive clinical director of The Kids Mental Health Foundation, noted that raised awareness, government funding, and school initiatives may help explain the recent improvements in youth mental health.

“The pandemic made us realize just how important children’s mental health is,” she commented. “People are actively seeking and utilizing resources more than before.”

Efforts have also been made to address and understand the factors contributing to young people’s despair.

Last year, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released a health advisory highlighting the effects of social media on teenagers’ mental health. Additionally, the White House allocated hundreds of millions in funding for mental health and behavioral health programs in schools and vulnerable communities.

Dr. Elizabeth Ortiz-Schwartz, a child psychiatrist at Silver Hill Hospital in Connecticut, mentioned that returning to in-person schooling and extracurricular activities might have positively affected students’ mental well-being.

“There are more chances for students to engage and socialize with peers,” she explained. “The resumption of normal activities has likely been very beneficial.”

Deteriorating situations

However, the return to in-person learning has also brought back challenges, such as academic stress, bullying, and violence in schools, according to Ortiz-Schwartz.

The CDC report indicated a rise in incidents where students faced threats or injuries from weapons at school, experienced bullying, or missed classes due to safety concerns at school or while travelling to school.

Female students experiencing school absences grew from 10% to 16% over two years, while nearly 20% of females reported sexual violence occurrences in 2023, according to the survey. Close to 30% of LGBTQ+ students reported being bullied, and 20% missed school due to safety worries.

Experts believe that the surge in violence may stem from the return to in-person classes, where confrontations are more likely. However, they suggest there might be further underlying issues at work.

Ortiz-Schwartz has observed that some of her patients seem developmentally delayed, showing social-emotional signs typically seen in younger children post-quarantine.

The increases in violence and bullying may also result from social media normalizing aggressive behaviors and language, which could lead to less self-regulation and heightened bullying during in-person interactions.

Hoet emphasized the importance of adults recognizing how these behaviors present themselves so they can guide teenagers in developing coping skills.

“Children often express depression as irritation,” Hoet explained. “We need to teach them emotional regulation  feeling angry is normal and acceptable, but we must find productive ways to manage that anger.”

Supporting mental well-being

Interestingly, not all students experienced significant hardships due to COVID-19.

A report from the Springtide Research Institute published in July revealed that 13-year-olds reflected positively on their experiences during the pandemic. Of the 1,000 children surveyed, nearly 50% indicated that their family relationships improved during this time.

While these findings seem promising, researchers highlighted that the responses varied significantly based on family income. Among students from higher-income households, 64% reported a positive impact on family relationships, whereas only 34% of those from lower-income households shared this sentiment.

“It’s likely that some kids thrived during the pandemic while others struggled due to differing home environments,” Hoet noted.

The report underscores that students have distinct needs, as emphasized by Dr. Laura Erickson-Schroth, chief medical officer at The Jed Foundation, a nonprofit focused on emotional health and suicide prevention for youth.

“We must pay close attention to why young people find themselves in these circumstances and why they struggle to seek help when they require it,” she advised.

While it’s important for educators to enhance school programs and curriculum, the strongest factor in protecting mental well-being is the relationships between children and adults. This crucial bond begins at home with parents and guardians, according to Hoet.

The CDC emphasizes that enhancing health education, linking young individuals to health services, and fostering safe and supportive school environments are essential steps for improving mental health.

“There’s still much work to be done,” stated Dr. Debra Houry, CDC’s chief medical officer and deputy director for program and science. “Every child deserves to feel safe and supported, and the CDC is committed to transforming this data into actionable steps until we achieve that objective.”