Teen girls "engulfed" in sadness and violence, new report says
Public Health,Mental Health,CDC,Teenagers,Young People,Women's Issues,Schools,Gender,LGBTQ Issues
Teen girls are experiencing record high levels of sadness and violence, according to a new report published Monday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Driving the news: According to the report, 57% of teen girls in 2021 reported feeling "persistently sad or hopeless" over the past year, up from 36% in 2011 and the highest rate seen in the last decade.
By comparison, 29% of teen boys reported feeling persistently sad or hopeless in 2021, compared to 21% in 2011.
LGBTQ+ students and students with same-sex partners also reported high levels of sadness and hopelessness in 2021, at 69% and 78% respectively.
State of play: About 30% of teen girls said they had seriously considered attempting suicide, up from 19% in 2011.
About 14% of teenage boys said the same, a marginal increase from 13% in 2011.
LGBTQ+ students (45%) and students with same-sex partners (58%) also reported seriously considering suicide.
American Indian or Alaska Native students, at 27%, reported higher rates of such thoughts than students of other racial or ethnic backgrounds.
