Mental Health in the News

With an already saturated health-care system, kids and families are struggling to get timely help. Many kids who developed symptoms of mental health problems during the first year of the pandemic didn't get help right away, and services are hard to find now. If you believe your child is struggling, don't wait -- find them support now.

There is an urgent need to address the nation’s youth mental health crisis. As the nation continues the work to protect the health and safety of America’s youth during this pandemic with the pediatric vaccine push amid concerns of the emerging omicron variant, the U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on Protecting Youth Mental Health outlines the pandemic’s unprecedented impacts on the mental health of America’s youth and families, as well as the mental health challenges that existed long before the pandemic.

Perceived social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic has had an extraordinary global impact, with significant psychological consequences. Changes in our daily lives, feeling of loneliness, job losses, financial difficulty, and grief over the death of loved ones have impacted the mental health of many. Seeking treatment is important because "there is no health without mental health."

Suicide attempts and rates are the highest among LCBTQ+ youth. Kids who are exploring their LGBTQ+ identities need to have a safe home base where their value is never doubted and where they feel unconditionally loved and accepted.

Social media platforms like Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat have provided unqiue opportunities for interaction and connection. But they’ve also been increasingly linked to mental health problems, including anxiety, depressive symptoms, and body image concerns.

Social comparison, social pressure, and negative peer interactions on Instagram and other platforms can make mental health issues worse for struggling teens and even adults. Still, most teens report that social media makes them feel more connected to their friends, more included, and more confident, which suggests that online experiences are often multidimensional. Encouraging critical thinking about material posted online can help mitigate concerns and foster strong media literacy skills.