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Teen Mental Health Sees Major Improvement Post-Pandemic
22 Sep
Summary
- Teen mental health shows significant improvement since 2021 pandemic lows.
- Feelings of sadness and suicidal thoughts among teens have decreased.
- Girls and LGBTQ+ teens continue to report worse mental health outcomes.
Recent data from a national survey indicates a notable improvement in teenage mental health since the peak of the pandemic in 2021. Key measures, including persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and serious thoughts of suicide, have seen significant declines.
These improvements mark a continuation of a trend first observed in 2023, with current figures showing lower rates than even pre-pandemic levels in 2019. This suggests a more sustained positive shift rather than just a post-pandemic recovery.
However, the survey also underscores persistent disparities. Teenagers identifying as lesbian, gay, or bisexual, and girls, continue to report worse mental health outcomes. Nearly 60% of LGBTQ+ teens experienced persistent sadness, and 32% seriously considered suicide.
Girls reported higher rates of persistent sadness (43%) than boys (24%). The survey also noted continued declines in teenage sexual activity, alcohol consumption, and illicit drug use compared to historical data from the 1990s and early 2000s.
