The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that nearly three in five teenage girls experience persistent sadness and one in three girls would seriously consider trying suicide.
The findings, based on questionnaires administered to teenagers across the country, also revealed a high degree of violence, depression, and suicidal ideation among lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth.
More Teenage Girls Experience Sadness
According to the agency, more than one in every five of these kids attempted suicide in the year preceding the study.
Sadness levels are at their greatest in a decade, showing a long-brewing national tragedy exacerbated by the pandemic’s isolation and stress.
Data showed that 57% of high school girls felt continuously depressed or hopeless in 2021, a nearly 60% rise from the previous decade. In comparison, 29% of boys the same age expressed similar sentiments.
In addition, the CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey discovered:
- 30% of females seriously considered suicide, representing a roughly 60% increase from a decade ago.
- Sexual violence was experienced by 18% in the previous year, a 20% rise over 2017.
- 14% were coerced into having sex, a 27% increase since 2019.
LGBTQ+ Students Polled
The new survey also highlighted emotional hardship among LGBQ+ youth, discovering:
- Almost 70% of LGBQ+ students reported continuous sorrow or pessimism.
- 52% had recently suffered from poor mental health.
- In the previous year, 45% had seriously pondered committing suicide, and 22% had tried suicide.
- In 2021, about one-quarter of students were tormented at school, while nearly 30% were bullied online.
Because the poll did not include a question about gender identity, the data does not include pupils who identify as transgender or nonbinary. However, health officials have stated that the question will be included in the 2023 census. Disparities in race and ethnicity were also prevalent:
- Black and Hispanic pupils were more likely to miss school due to safety concerns than Asian, white, and mixed students.
- Hispanic and multiracial pupils were more likely to exhibit continuous sentiments of despair and hopelessness than Asian, Black, and white students.
- Black pupils were more likely to attempt suicide than Asian, Hispanic, and white students.
The report comes as previously released statistics showed that overall suicide rates rose for the first time in two years, with Black children and teens experiencing the greatest increase.
The poll also indicated that 61% of high school students felt a sense of school connectedness, highlighting the critical need for investment in school programs.
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