Devastating Mental Health Crisis Among American Teens Today, Doubling During Pandemic
Ask Students:What percentage of youth today report having severe depression and are not receiving mental health treatment?
Summary
The U.S. surgeon general issued a rare public advisory in December, warning of a “devastating” mental health crisis among American teens. Symptoms of depression and anxiety for children and adolescents have doubled during the COVID pandemic. Warning: This segment references suicide. For a transcript of the story, click here.
For a shorter version, stop at 4m:15s.
If you or someone you know has talked about contemplating suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Discussion Questions
- Who is involved in the non-profit organization Youth Villages, and what do they do?
- Where is Youth Villages located?
- When, as in what time period, has Youth Villages experienced the highest volume of calls?
- What percentage of youth today report having severe depression and are not receiving mental health treatment?
- How many high school students report persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness?
Focus Questions
Why do you think so many kids today are struggling with their mental health? How has the pandemic during the past two years impacted youth mental health?
Media Literacy: Why do you think the story focuses solely on one girl, Jackie, in Tennessee? Did you appreciate hearing about the details of her mental health journey, or would you have preferred to hear from more people in different places? Why or why not?
Republished with permission from PBS NewsHour Classroom.
PBS News Hour Classroom helps teachers and students identify the who, what, where and why-it-matters of the major national and international news stories. The site combines the best of News Hour's reliable, trustworthy news program with lesson plans developed specifically for... See More
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