In recent years, the mental health needs of children and adolescents have drawn urgent attention from families, schools, medical professionals, and policymakers. While concerns about youth well-being existed long before the COVID-19 pandemic, the disruptions of 2020 intensified existing challenges and surfaced new ones. Social isolation, academic instability, health anxiety, and heightened family stress created a tipping point, and by 2021, the U.S. Surgeon General had issued a formal advisory on the youth mental health crisis.
That language—crisis—wasn’t an exaggeration. Rates of anxiety, depression, suicidality, and emergency psychiatric visits among young people have risen sharply over the last several years, with some of the steepest increases having been observed in adolescent girls and LGBTQ+ youth. But the pressure young people face isn’t limited to one demographic or diagnosis, and the scope of the issue demands attention to both its immediate urgency and its longer-term patterns. These shifts didn’t appear overnight, and they won’t resolve without sustained support.
What Do the Statistics Show?
Over the past several years, youth mental health concerns have continued to rise, with the prevalence of diagnosed mental or behavioral health conditions among adolescents increasing by 35% between 2016 and 2023. Anxiety, in particular, has become significantly more common among adolescents, with especially high rates among Generation Z. Depression and anxiety have both shown sustained increases since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Alongside these patterns, suicidal thoughts and behaviors have also become more prevalent. A study out of Spain showed that emergency department visits and hospitalizations for suicidality among children and adolescents rose from roughly 760 per 100,000 to 1,160 per 100,000 in 2021, with adolescent girls making up the majority of those cases. Nearly all racial and gender subgroups experienced higher rates in the years following 2020, underscoring the importance of understanding youth mental health through an intersectional lens. Systemic barriers, stigma, and discrimination all contribute to elevated risk for LGBTQ+ and BIPOC youth, affecting access to care and perceptions of safety. For many, symptoms go unnoticed or are misinterpreted until a crisis emerges.
Even as suicide prevention efforts have expanded, that opportunity for timely intervention is unreliable as well as inequitable. Even families who actively seek support for their children often encounter long waitlists, concerns about affordability, or a shortage of providers trained to work with adolescents. Rural areas and under-resourced communities face some of the steepest gaps.
Contributing Causes of the Youth Mental Health Crisis
It’s tempting to treat the pandemic as the starting point of the youth mental health crisis, but many of the patterns we’re seeing now were already taking shape before 2020. Rising academic pressure, increased social comparison through technology, chronic overscheduling, and reduced unstructured time had already created a foundation of stress for many young people. The pandemic intensified those pressures and stripped away essential support structures. Schools, sports, peer networks, religious communities, and extracurriculars all serve protective roles. When those were disrupted, many young people lost access not just to routine, but to the spaces where identity, creativity, and connection are nurtured. In some instances, home was not a safe or supportive place. Kids may have experienced grief, food insecurity, or increased exposure to family conflict. In many cases, the full impact of that disruption is still unfolding.
But COVID-19 wasn’t the only accelerant. The rise in adolescent anxiety has wide-reaching implications, not only for individual well-being, but also for family dynamics and how young people move through the world. Studies point to a combination of contributing factors: genetic predisposition, preexisting mental health concerns, academic pressure, political instability, and constant exposure to distressing media. Nearly one-third of youth report anxiety related to political issues such as gun violence and climate change. Meanwhile, overexposure to social media has been linked to lower self-esteem, increased social comparison, and higher rates of internalizing symptoms.
Strong family communication, emotional security at home, and access to safe peer connection appear to buffer some of these effects. But not all families have equal access to those protective conditions, and not all adolescents feel safe or understood in the places where they spend the most time.
Warning Signs of Mental Health Concerns in Youth
There is no single way mental health struggles show up in young people. Emotional pain doesn’t always look like sadness, and suicidal thoughts aren’t always expressed directly. Shifts in conduct in kids and adolescents are often dismissed as “typical” behavior, especially when they don’t match adult expectations of what depression or anxiety is supposed to look like, or what age they might start showing up.
Signs in Younger Children
- Stomachaches or headaches
- Difficulty sleeping
- Increased clinginess
- Changes in appetite
- Aggression
- Regression
- Sudden fearfulness
- Trouble concentrating
- Withdrawal from play or activities
- Increased irritability
Signs in Adolescents and Teens
- Perfectionism
- Shutdown or emotional numbness
- Substance use
- Withdrawal or irritability
- Loss of interest in school
- Missed or incomplete assignments
- Avoidance of social situations
- Risk-taking behavior
- Self-isolation
- Sudden drop in academic performance
- Changes in hygiene or appearance
- Dismissiveness or deflection when asked about feelings
- Excessive time online or avoiding in-person interaction
For parents, teachers, and caregivers, knowing when to worry can feel like walking a tightrope. Overreacting can strain trust, while ignoring a problem can delay support. The key is not to seek to become an expert in diagnosing the children in your life, but to notice changes and seek input from professionals when something feels off.
What Can We Do to Prevent a Crisis?
In addition to awareness, responding to the youth mental health crisis requires layered systems of support. That includes access to affirming therapy and school-based mental health programs, but also extends into everyday settings, in person and online.
Encouraging healthy communication between adolescents and caregivers can foster emotional security, while also helping to identify distress earlier. In families, even small shifts—like setting boundaries around social media and prioritizing quality time—can make a difference. At the community level, educators and youth leaders can play a role by normalizing mental health conversations and creating spaces where vulnerability is met with respect.
For concerns like climate anxiety, or exposure to political violence, that fall outside the scope of individual or family control, education can help ease distress. Teaching adolescents how to understand conflicting information, assess sources, and tolerate uncertainty may reduce fear driven by misinformation or sensationalism.
Exposure to nature has also been proposed as a low-barrier way to help reduce anxiety symptoms, particularly for young people who are negatively impacted by excessive screen time, or feel overwhelmed by schedules or social tension. While not a substitute for clinical care, time in nature may offer a calming buffer that helps regulate mood and improve focus.
Equally important is building systems of care that don’t wait until someone reaches a crisis point. That means making resources more visible, expanding access to outpatient therapy, and ensuring that both young people and the adults around them know what help is available.
What Do Young People Need From Us?
The current youth mental health crisis is complex, but not hopeless. Young people are still reaching out, and they are still trying to make sense of a world that often feels unstable. Many are asking for help—not always directly, and not always in ways adults recognize—but the desire for connection and understanding is there.
What they need in return is a system that listens early, intervenes thoughtfully, and avoids reducing their experience to statistics or talking points. Therapy, when accessible and consistent, can offer young people a place to explore their identities, build coping skills, and develop internal resources. That may be enough, or additional support may be needed, and knowing when to step in can make all the difference.
Supportive Questions Adults Can Ask
- “I’ve noticed you haven’t seemed like yourself lately. Want to talk about it?”
- “What’s been feeling hard for you lately?”
- “Do you feel like you have someone to talk to when things are overwhelming?”
- “Is there anything you wish I understood better about how you’re feeling?”
Need Help Now?
📞 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — Call or text 988 for free, confidential support 24/7.