New CDC data illuminate youth mental health threats during COVID-19 pandemic
March 31, 2022 – In 2021, more than a third (37%) of high school students reported they experienced poor mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
New CDC analyses published today shine additional light on the mental, physical, and emotional health of U.S. high school students during the COVID-19 pandemic, including a disproportionate level of threats that some students experienced.
Graphics:
These high-resolution, public domain images are ready to download and print in your publication. Click on a graphic to see it in high-resolution. For your convenience, we have included a table that contains the specific data from the report used to generate these charts. These images are in the public domain and are thus free of any copyright restrictions. As a matter of courtesy, we ask that the content provider be credited and notified of any public or private usage of an image.
The graphic includes two circles with text explaining that 37% of youth experienced poor mental health during COVID-19 and that 44% of youth experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness during the past 12 months.
The graphic includes three donut graphs showing that 55% of youth reported experiencing emotional abuse by a parent or caregiver, 29% reported a parent or other adult in their home lost a job, and 11% reported experiencing physical abuse by a parent or caregiver.
The graphic includes a bar graph showing that 76% of lesbian, gay and bisexual youth experienced persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness in the 12 months prior to the survey, compared to 37% of heterosexual youth. The graphic also includes a bar graph showing that 74% of lesbian, gay and bisexual youth experienced emotional abuse by a parent or caregiver during COVID-19, compared to 50% of heterosexual youth.
The graphic includes a bar graph showing that 57% of female youth experienced persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness in the 12 months prior to the survey compared to 31% of male youth. The graphic also includes a bar graph showing that 63% of female youth experienced emotional abuse by a parent or caregiver during COVID-19, compared to 47% of male youth.
The graphic shows that over one-third of youth in the U.S. reported they experienced racism at some point during their lifetime, with the highest levels among Asian and Black students.
This graphic shows that students who felt close to people at school were protected during times of severe disruption. Specifically, students who felt close to people at school were less likely to experience persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic, compared to those who did not feel close to people at school (35% vs. 53%). Similarly, students who felt close to people at school were less likely to seriously consider attempting suicide during the past year, compared to those who did not feel close to people at school (14% vs 26%). Students who felt close to people at school were less likely to attempt suicide during the past year, compared to those who did not feel close to people at school (6% vs 12%).
