CDC reports increasing mental health challenges for U.S. teens

Brought

to you by

- Cathy Murphy, Director of Community Outreach at Summit Counseling Center

According to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), we are continuing to see a trend of declining mental health among our teens. The data showed more than 4 in 10 (42%) students felt persistently sad or hopeless and nearly one-third (29%) experienced poor mental health. The report also showed more than 1 in 5 (22%) students seriously considered suicide and 1 in 10 (10%) had attempted suicide in 2021.

While statistics worsened for all teens during this period, data shows a stark disparity for teenage girls. In 2021, fifty-seven percent of female students experienced persistent sadness or hopelessness and 13% had attempted suicide in the past year.

You can read the full report on the CDC’s website at tinyurl.com/ cdcyouth23.

We Want to Hear from You!

On May 18th, United Way of Greater Atlanta will be presenting new data regarding Child Well-Being both in the Atlanta region generally and in North Fulton specifically.

Your feedback is crucial as we open the discussion to Child WellBeing intersectionality with mental health outcomes. Participants are invited to share their impressions and implications of these findings. The discussion will inform a comprehensive perspective and provide momentum toward collective action.

Please join us from 10:00 – 11:30 AM in-person on Thursday, May 18th at Alpharetta First United Methodist Church, 69 N. Main Street or via live streaming on Facebook @NFMHC. Register online at tinyurl.com/NFMHC523.