In December 2021, the U.S. Surgeon General, Vivek H. Murthy, released a rare Surgeon General’s Advisory report warning that the challenges that today’s youth are facing are unprecedented, the impact on youth mental health is devastating, and that “in many cases, they are treatable and often preventable”.
This followed an equally rare statement by three U.S. pediatric organizations in October 2021, declaring a national emergency in child and adolescent mental health. They called for “strategies to meet these challenges through innovation and action … to improve access to and quality of care across the continuum of mental health promotion, prevention, and treatment”
Did You Know…
- Depression and anxiety doubled during the coronavirus pandemic, with 25% of youths experiencing depressive symptoms and 20% suffering anxiety symptoms.
- For adolescent girls, emergency room visits for suicide attempts rose 51% in early 2021 compared with 2019.
- 16% of youth (12-17) report suffering a depressive episode in the past year (2022) but 60% could NOT access a mental health provider.
- And it’s not just in the United States… A fact sheet on adolescent mental health from the World Health Organization in November 2021 reveals:
- 1 in 7, 10–19-year-olds experience a mental disorder, accounting for 13% of the global burden of disease in this age group.
- Depression, anxiety, and behavioral disorders are among the leading causes of illness and disability among adolescents.
- It is estimated that 3.6% of 10–14-year-olds and 4.6% of 15-19 year-olds experience an anxiety disorder.
- Depression is estimated to occur among 1.1% of adolescents aged 10-14 years, and 2.8% of 15-19-year-olds.
- Suicide is the 4th leading cause of death among 15–19-year-olds.
