Nearly three in five high school girls (57%) felt sad or hopeless for at least two weeks in 2021.
By Le Figaro with AFP
Published 2/13/2023 at 8:49 PM, updated 2/13/2023 at 10:06 PM
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One in five high school girls (18%) experienced sexual violence in 2021. fizkes/stock.adobe.com
Health officials in the United States sounded the alarm on Monday, February 13, at very worrying numbers about the mental health of high school students, particularly young girls, in a report analyzing 10-year developments in the field.
According to this report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the nation’s top federal health agency, nearly one in three high school girls (30%) has had serious thoughts of suicide in 2021, up from 19% in 2011.
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“It’s very alarming”
Nearly three in five high school girls (57%) felt sad or hopeless for at least two weeks in 2021, causing them to interrupt their usual activities. That number, which is about twice that of boys, is a decade high. In 2011, only 36% of girls said the same thing.
“America’s teenage girls are being overcome by a rising tide of sadness, violence and trauma,” CDC official Debra Houry said at a news conference. “This data is difficult to hear and should lead to action,” she added. One in five high school girls (18%) experienced sexual violence in 2021, and more than one in ten (14%) were forced to have sex, according to the report.
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“It’s very alarming,” said Kathleen Ethier, director of the CDC’s Division of Youth and School Health. “Out of every ten teenage girls you know, at least one, probably more, has been raped. This tragedy cannot continue.” In addition to girls, the report also highlights worrying numbers for LGBT+ students. Almost 70% of them experienced a persistent feeling of sadness or despair in 2021, and more than one in five (22%) attempted suicide.
This data comes from a questionnaire filled out every two years by high school students in the United States (ages 15 to 18). When the latest data was collected in autumn 2021, most schools had reopened after closures related to the Covid-19 pandemic, but young people’s daily lives remained partially disrupted.
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Social isolation
Other studies have shown the adverse effects of the pandemic on adolescent mental health. However, the report points out that this trend had already started before the virus arrived. “The social isolation caused by the pandemic has certainly made the situation worse,” said Kathleen Ethier. But “there isn’t just one factor that leads to this,” emphasized Debra Houry, also referring to social networks and “sources of stress at school”.
The two leaders stressed the immediate need to help these young people, particularly through prevention programs at school. “Schools are really on the front lines of this mental health crisis,” said Kathleen Ethier. A first step “is to ensure that teachers are trained to deal with these problems”.
Debra Houry also pointed out that the CDC funds rape prevention and awareness programs in almost every US state. Finally, authorities recalled the existence of an anti-suicide hotline for people in need in the United States, 988.