Teenage Girls Experiencing Record High Levels of Sadness, Violence and Trauma
Ask Students: What organization recently produced a new report on teen mental health? When did the CDC conduct its research on teen mental health?
Summary
In 2021, the CDC saw an increase in mental health challenges across the board, but it’s girls in the U.S. that are engulfed in a wave of sadness, violence and trauma. Nearly three in five reported feeling persistent sadness and hopelessness, 25% of girls reported having made a suicide plan and 14% reported having been forced to have sex.
For a transcript of this story, click here.
Discussion Questions
- What organization recently produced a new report on teen mental health?
- When did the CDC conduct its research on teen mental health?
- How long has there been a concerning rise in reported youth mental health concerns?
- Who is interviewed for this story?
- Why is the spike in mental health concern discussed in this story be happening?
Focus Questions
Why do you think mental health has been an increasingly difficult struggle for many teens, particularly girls, over the last 10 years? What do you think could be done about the problem?
Media Literacy: Who else do you think the producers of this show could speak with to better understand teen depression and mental health struggles?
Digital Wellbeing and Social Media
Use this collection of preK-16 resources to dive deeper on the algorithmic biases that can cause direct harm to young people as well as foster literacy and safety online.
Republished with permission from PBS NewsHour Classroom.
PBS NewsHour Classroom helps teachers and students identify the who, what, where and why-it-matters of the major national and international news stories.
