“CDC data shows U.S. teen girls ‘in crisis’ with unprecedented rise in suicidal behavior”

I work with children from kindergarten to 12th grade in school settings and have been counseling youth for nearly 30 years. I find my job incredibly fulfilling as I get to help children believe in themselves. However, I have noticed that mental health struggles among young people are at an all-time high in my career. In fact, around 70% of the children on my caseload are girls. This article presents data from the latest Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS).

“The pandemic took a harsh toll on U.S. teen girls’ mental health, with almost 60 percent reporting feelings of persistent sadness or hopelessness…”

“The research found:

• Among girls, 30 percent said they seriously considered attempting suicide, double the rate among boys and up almost 60 percent from a decade ago.
• Almost 20 percent of girls reported experiencing rape or other sexualviolence in the previous year, also an increase over previous years.
• Almost half of LGBTQ students said they had seriously considered a suicide attempt.”

The data is alarming and unfortunately very real. As someone who works with children on a daily basis, I witness the effects of this trend firsthand. While schools are making efforts to address the issue, there are limited resources available to them.

If you are a school and would like to schedule a consultation with some ideas on how to structure your mental health supports, contact Shape The Sky and set something up. 

If you are a parent or professional and need some resources on suicide prevention, click here for the best resources I have found. If you are looking for a therapist for your child/student, you can find one on Psychology Today by clicking the “find a therapist” tab. You can also search on the SAMHSA website and filter for a mental health provider. 

Kids are struggling. Let’s help them out.  ~Ryan