Youth Mental Health Toll Unprecedented After Pandemic

ATLANTA, Ga. (AP) – The pandemic took a harsh toll on U.S. teen girls’ mental health, with almost 60% reporting feelings of persistent sadness or hopelessness.

That’s according to a government survey released Monday.

Sexual violence, suicidal thoughts and other mental health woes affected many teens regardless of race or ethnicity.

But girls, along with LGBTQ youth, fared the worst on most measures.

The 2021 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data bolster earlier reports.

A CDC official calls the findings devastating. More than 17,000 U.S. high school students were surveyed in class in the fall of 2021.