Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) — Adolescent girls in the United States have been exposed to record high levels of violence, grief, and suicide risk in recent years, with a “significant” and “catastrophic” decline in the health and overall well-being of young people, according to data released by Published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Control (CDC), Monday.
Responses to the biannual Youth Risk Behavior Survey, collected in fall 2021, provide the first look at trends since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a media conference, Kathleen Ether, director of the Department of Adolescent Health and Schools at the US Centers for Disease Control and Control, said, “There were many indicators going in the wrong direction before the pandemic. This data shows that the mental health crisis among young people continues,” adding that The results are “alarming”.
The survey found an increase in mental health challenges, violent experiences, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors among all teens.
More than 40% of secondary school students reported that feelings of sadness or hopelessness prevented them from carrying out their usual activities for at least two weeks a year.
Girls were faring worse than boys on a large scale, and there was “continuous and severe suffering” among adolescents who identify as LGBTQ.
The majority of teenage girls (57%) felt persistent sadness or hopelessness in 2021, which is twice the rate of teenage boys (29%).
Almost 1 in 3 teenage girls have seriously considered attempting suicide.
Both rates have increased “significantly” over the past decade, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Control.
The majority of LGBTQ students (52%) have also recently experienced declining mental health, with 1 in 5 attempting suicide in the past year.
A few indicators of adolescent health and well-being achieved sustained improvement, including decreases in risky sexual behaviours, drug use and school bullying.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Control report noted that other indicators “worse significantly”.
The latest data showed an increase in the percentage of young people who did not go to school due to safety concerns.
There was also an increase in the level of teenage girls being exposed to sexual violence, and teenage boys being exposed to cyberbullying.
Almost 1 in 5 teenage girls (18%) experienced sexual violence in the past year, and 1 in 7 (14%) were forced to have sex.
“These data are clear, our youth are in crisis,” Ether said.
Senior officials from the US Centers for Disease Control and Control and PTA President Anna King emphasized the important role of schools.
“Schools are on the front lines of a mental health crisis, and they need to be equipped with the tools that have proven useful to help students thrive,” said Dr. Debra Houry, chief medical officer at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
These tools include staff training to identify and manage mental health challenges, counseling and mentoring programs, and other programs that encourage communication and intervention.