American young people are experiencing a mental health crisis. Recently, " Scientific American " published an article by Mitch Prinstein, chief scientific officer of the American Psychological Association, and Kathleen A. Ethier, director of the Department of Youth and School Health of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pointing out that this phenomenon has existed for many years, American society has not invested enough in mental health, and methods to prevent crises have not been implemented effectively.
A report from the U.S. Health Director, American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and American Psychological Association (APA) pointed out that young Americans are experiencing a mental health crisis, with family members and children competing to overwhelmed counselors, psychologists or social workers .
Is this crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic? No. Years of monitoring of the health and well-being of young people show that the storm began many years ago.
In 2019, 37% of the high school students surveyed felt very sad and desperate and could not participate in daily activities. About one in five students had seriously considered or tried to commit suicide. Among those who have considered or tried to commit suicide, the proportion of teenagers who consider themselves lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or who question their identity is too high. The Adolescent Behaviors and Experiences Survey of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the first nationally representative survey of American high school students during the epidemic. The survey shows that young people's lives have been greatly disrupted, with more than half of them having been emotionally abused by adults at home. More than 60% of Asian students and more than half of black students have experienced racial discrimination. Emotional distress and suicide thoughts or behaviors continue to deteriorate, which is more significant among female and sexual minority students.
In fact, due to scientific advances, some school-centered mental health methods have proven effective, such as teaching children how to deal with strong emotions to train emotions, or screening for screening before a mental health crisis occurs.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, by 2018, 79% of high schools had determined safe space for young people in sexual minority groups, 96% had formulated anti-harassment policies, and 77% of high schools provided staff with inclusive professional development space. Many schools also have inclusive, student-led clubs. Recent research by the CDC found that such policies and practices not only improve the mental health of sexual minority students, but also improve the mental health of all young people. The anti-racism program has achieved similar results, allowing formerly marginalized youth to no longer feel as unfriendly in schools, which improves the health and well-being of all students. (Produced by the "Thought Workshop" of the integrated media of the Social Science News. See the Social Science News and the official website)
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