The Teenage Mental Health Crisis, and How Communities are Responding
Societies must respond to a crisis that has no historical precedent and little research. The lives of millions of children are on the line.
By: Lillian Lin
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The Age of Internet
The age of the internet has transformed everyday life for millions of people. Communication across the planet is now not only possible, but commonplace. Technology is a bigger part of our lives than ever before. Yet, this digital era has also brought about unforeseen consequences, especially psychologically. Ironically, the great ability of technology to connect people thousands of miles apart has made everyday interactions less necessary and more mundane. Isolation is an increasingly common way to live. Adolescents have been particularly affected; more and more teenagers now struggle with their mental health. So, what is to be done? How can societies respond to this crisis, when so little is known about this rapidly developing phenomenon?
“Young people are more educated; less likely to get pregnant, use drugs; less likely to die of accident or injury. By many markers, kids are doing fantastic and thriving. But there are these really important trends in anxiety, depression and suicide that stop us in our tracks.” — Candice Odgers, psychologist at the University of California, Irvine.
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Developing Crisis
Thirty years ago, the most serious threats to teenagers in the United States came from binge drinking, drunken driving, teenage pregnancy, and smoking. These have disappeared almost entirely, and have been replaced by a new threat— rising rates of mental health disorders. In 2019, 13% of adolescents reported having a major depressive episode, a 60% increase from 2007. Suicide rates rose nearly 60% by 2018. The U.S. surgeon general even warned of a “devastating” teenage mental health crisis, while doctors have called it a “national emergency,” describing ever-greater numbers of struggling teenagers, a lack of therapists and treatments, and scare research on the topic. Undeniably, today’s adolescents are facing a dire situation. Responding to this crisis will require an understanding of its origins, as well as current circumstances.
Causes, and the Internet
There are some theories about the causes of this crisis, but almost all involve internet exposure. For instance, research shows that teenagers are sleeping less, exercising less, and having less in-person interactions, which are correlated with greater internet use. For these activities, essential for healthy development, to be missing during one of the most transformative periods of one’s life is devastating. Additionally, experts believe that, taken in conjunction with internet use, the earlier onset of puberty may also play a role. Children are being exposed to the onslaught of digital media while their brains undergo pivotal changes. The falling age of puberty, according to Laurence Steinberg, a psychologist at Temple University, has created a “widening gap” between stimuli and what the brain can process. Heightened exposure to stimuli from the internet exacerbates this phenomena. Additionally, research shows that teenagers increasingly report feeling lonely, which is, again, correlated with increased internet use. Bonnie Nagel, a psychologist at the Oregon Health & Science University, said, “They’re hanging out with friends, but no friends are there. It’s not the same social connectedness we need and not the kind that prevents one from feeling lonely.” In a strange way, the ease of connection the internet provided has made in-person interaction obsolete, but not any less crucial.
Conclusion: Uncertain Future
How are communities responding to this crisis that has only recently emerged? There is a severe shortage of resources and personnel; 70% of counties in the United States lack a psychiatrist specializing in children or adolescents. As a result, the medical system is struggling to keep up. Pediatricians and emergency room workers are increasingly forced to treat patients for psychiatric issues, despite not having been trained for such. Doctors now routinely deal with mental health disorders, making diagnoses after brief visits and prescribing potent medications because they don’t know what else to do. “I’d rather they see a psychiatrist,” said one pediatrician. “But if I’ve got this child and they’re cutting and saying they’re going to kill themselves, I’ll say, ‘Well, I’ll see them today.’ If I call a child psychiatrist, they say, ‘I’ll see them in a month.’” In short, the medical system is wholly unprepared for this challenge, and incredibly overwhelmed. The solution many propose is for pediatricians to adapt to these new circumstances, and prepare themselves to treat more psychiatric issues in the future. Others advocate for a complete overhaul of the medical system, to make mental health as important as physical health. Still, the future for this crisis is largely uncertain. One can only hope that, as more research emerges about this topic, communities will be able to overcome this challenge, faced by millions of teenagers worldwide.
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Works Cited
Leonhardt, David. “On the Phone, Alone.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 10 May 2022, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/10/briefing/adolescent-mental-health-crisis-us.html.
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Richtel, Matt, and Annie Flanagan. “'It's Life or Death': The Mental Health Crisis among U.S. Teens.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 24 Apr. 2022,
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/23/health/mental-health-crisis-teens.html.
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Richtel, Matt, and Annie Flanagan. “Teens in Distress Are Swamping Pediatricians.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 10 May 2022, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/10/health/pediatricians-mental-health-crisis-teens.html.