When it comes to teen mental health, a new report shows it’s a crisis that is not improving.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its Youth Risk Behavior Survey results, which according to data, found that teen girls are experiencing the highest levels of sexual violence, sadness, and hopelessness than ever.
But what more can be done to address the issue? Dr. Sonya Sandhu, a psychiatry specialist in Chicago and the suburbs, joined WGN Evening News to discuss the CDC’s report and offer advice to those in need.
“A large component of what mental health providers all across the country have been feeling over the past couple of years is this burden from the mental health perspective of teenagers. A large component of that can definitely be attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Sandhu said. “I think hybrid and e-learning really had an impact on the social, emotional and educational development of our youth. So I think that that burden actually came at a critical time for a lot of teenagers.”
Hotline/Support Numbers
- National Suicide Prevention: 1.800.273.8255
- National Hopeline: 1.800.784.2433
- TRANS LIFELINE: 1.877.565.8860
- NAMI Chicago Referral Helpline: 312.563.0445
- Warm Line: 866.359.7953
- For Crisis Support in Spanish: 1.888.628.9454
- CARES line for Patients with Medicaid: 1.800.345.9049
- Samariteens: 1.800.252.8336
- 800 DON’T CUT: 1.800.366.8288
- Crisis Text Line: Text “START” to 741-741/Text HOME to 741741
- The Trevor Project (LGBTQ youth): 1.866.488.7386
Watch the full interview in the video player above.
