Alarming CDC Stats About Girls and What Professionals Say Parents, Schools & Mentors Can Do to Help
According to CDC data released this time last week, nearly 3 in 5 (57%) teen girls in the U.S. “felt persistently sad or hopeless in 2021—double that of boys, representing a nearly 60% increase and the highest level reported over the past decade.”
The numbers left us stunned.
But then they got worse.
According to the report:
Nearly 1 in 3 (30%) seriously considered attempting suicide—up nearly 60% from a decade ago; and
1 in 5 (18%) experienced sexual violence in the past year—up 20% since 2017, when CDC started monitoring this measure.
And worse still for teens who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or questioning (LGBQ+).
The report also found “more than half (52%) of LGBQ+ students had recently experienced poor mental health and, concerningly, that more than 1 in 5 (22%) attempted suicide in the past year.”
“High school should be a time for trailblazing, not trauma,” lamented Debra Houry, M.D., M.P.H., CDC’s Chief Medical Officer and Deputy Director for Program and Science in the CDC’s press release. “These data show our kids need far more support to cope, hope, and thrive.”
What can help? CDC experts say school programs.
"Schools are on the frontlines of the mental health crisis, and they must be equipped with the proven tools that help students thrive," Houry said, adding that “[p]roven school prevention programs can offer teens a vital lifeline in these growing waves of trauma.”
CDC Division of Adolescent and School Health Director Kathleen Ethier, Ph.D. agrees: “Young people are experiencing a level of distress that calls on us to act with urgency and compassion…With the right programs and services in place, schools have the unique ability to help our youth flourish.”
What do today’s school counselors think?
Être asked nationally board certified school counselor, author and journalist Phyllis L. Fagell, and she had this to say:
“Adults need to remember that teen girls are trying to figure out who they are and who they want to be while getting bombarded with unrealistic (and too often these days, hateful) messages on social media; absorbing all the ambient anxiety; and navigating growing up in a divisive, tumultuous time in history. And they're doing all that in the absence of much life experience or perspective.”
“If we want to help,” Fagell continued, “we need to really listen, take their concerns seriously, tell them we want to help, and manage our own anxiety so they don't feel they have to shield us from their discomfort.”
What else are national experts advising in the face of CDC stats?
CDC leaders along with National PTA President Anna King are also emphasizing the important role family dialogue can play.
“It’s critical to talk with our children about what they’re feeling and their concerns,” King stated. “I’m urging our families to come together, look for signs, look for ways that you can have these conversations with your children. Get to know them. Have these routine conversations all the time.”
Who else can have conversations that, according to CDC experts, can help? Mentors.
And we agree. In recent research commissioned by Être in partnership with YPulse, we saw that while 57% of girls surveyed in the U.S. described themselves as happy at age 13, that number dropped to 44% by age 18. Similarly, even though 42% of girls at age 13 described themselves as smart, that number plummeted to 28% at 18.
But our research also showed that 86% of girls said they would feel more confident with a mentor by their side.
Who do they see as a mentor?
“Someone you can turn to and ask for advice about anything,” said one 14-year-old girl in the Être survey. “You’re comfortable talking with them about anything going on in your life and you learn from them.”
“Someone who helps you become the person you want to become and explains to you how to become that person,” added a 15-year-old girl in the same survey. “They guide you in the right direction.”
Finally, can mentors work closely with mental health experts? Absolutely.
Connection is key.
Être has turned time and time again to The JED Foundation (JED) – an organization that empathetically and expertly “protects emotional health and prevents suicide for our nation’s teens and young adults” – and we’re not alone.
Over 5.1 million young adults attend schools that use JED programs to support their mental health, and more than 8 million people interact with JED programs for themselves or those they love.
We reached out to JED’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Laura Erickson-Schroth for guidance regarding the CDC report, and she promptly told us this:
"The CDC’s recent report tells us that teen girls are really struggling. What's most important for all of us – teens, parents, and educators – is to remember that help is out there. For young girls who are experiencing heavy emotions during this time, I urge them to talk to a friend or reach out to a trusted adult. Conversations can be lifesaving.”
“If you're not sure how to begin,” Erickson-Schroth continued, “check out JED's Mental Health Resource Center or the videos and tips from Seize the Awkward, a collaborative campaign of The Jed Foundation, the Ad Council, and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. If you're in crisis, you can call, chat, or text 988 to reach a trained professional."
We couldn’t agree more. JED’s #SeizeTheAwkward campaign allows teens to find support, share their stories and reach out to help the next teen who is struggling right now.
And today that means help the next girl.
Which is what we are all striving to do.
The CDC numbers might leave us stunned, but now is the time for action. At home, in school and within communities. For continuing conversation with families and phenomenal mental health professionals. And for mentorship from women who remember exactly what it is like to be a teen.
Because we’ve been there. And every one of us wants to support the next girl.
Looking forward,
Illana
ÊXTRAS: If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or a suicidal crisis, here are three ways to find help: Reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988; chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline here; and call the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) HelpLine Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.–10 p.m. ET, at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or email info@nami.org. For more, check out https://www.etregirls.com/be-balanced with resource support from JED.
