Teenagers’ Mental Health Is Flailing, CDC Survey Shows
More teen girls thought about and attempted suicide in 2021, the CDC's Youth Risk Behavior Survey found. High school students are also struggling with sexual pressure, gun violence, unstable housing, and other stressors.
Politico:
A New Portrait Of American Teenagers In Crisis
In 2021, 1 in 5 high school students said they witnessed violence in their communities, and 3.5 percent said they carried a gun. Nearly 9 percent of students said they’d been forced into sex in their life. A third of female students said they had considered suicide in the past year, and over 13 percent said they’d attempted suicide. A sweeping series of surveys of U.S. high school students released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have an urgent message for parents and policymakers: America’s kids are in crisis. (Mahr, 4/27)
The Hill:
Percentage Of Teen Girls Considering, Attempting Suicide Rose In Second Year Of Pandemic: CDC
The percentage of teenage girls considering and attempting suicide rose in 2021, a sign of declining mental health during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that 30 percent of female students in grades 9-12 seriously considered attempting suicide in 2021, up from 24.1 percent in 2019. The amount of teen girls who made a plan for suicide also rose from 19.9 to 23.6 percent, and the percentage who attempted suicide rose from 11 to 13.3 percent. (Gans, 4/27)
If you are in need of help —
Dial 9-8-8 for 24/7 support from the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It's free and confidential.
AP:
Pandemic Sent High School Sex To New Low, Survey Finds
The first years of the pandemic saw a huge decline in high school students having sex, according to a government survey. Teen sex was already becoming less and less common before COVID-19.About three decades ago, more than half of teens said they’d had sex, according to a large government survey conducted every two years. By 2019, the share was 38%. In 2021, 30% of teens said they had ever had sex. That was the sharpest drop ever recorded by the survey. (Stobbe, 4/27)
In related news about the gun violence epidemic —
The Washington Post:
Louisville Gunman’s Parents Say He Shouldn’t Have Been Able To Buy Weapon
The parents of the Louisville gunman sought help for their son as he reported a mental health crisis the week before he committed a mass shooting, they said Thursday in an emotional interview with “Today.” Todd and Lisa Sturgeon, who last saw their 25-year-old son Connor the day before he killed five people at the downtown Louisville bank where he worked, said they believed he was improving after seeing a psychiatrist and that Connor seemed happy at an Easter gathering that day. (Wu, 4/28)
The Hill:
More Voters Support Assault Weapons Ban Over Arming Citizens To Reduce Violence: Poll
More U.S. voters support banning assault weapons over arming citizens to reduce gun violence, according to a Fox News poll released on Thursday. While 45 percent of those surveyed said they would encourage more citizens to carry guns to defend against attackers, 61 percent said they favored banning assault rifles and semi-automatic weapons. (Shapero, 4/27)
