American teenage girls are experiencing high levels of emotional distress. Why? | Moira Donegan

The CDC has found that youth of all genders are suffering at worrying levels, but girls are experiencing far greater levels of distress

Teen girls are in a state of despair, according to the Centers for Disease Control. A new report from the agency, based on data collected by the Youth Risk Behavior Survey conducted in 2021, finds that teenagers overall are in a state of desperation, with increases in debilitating sadness, violence, and suicidal ideation.

The survey, which the CDC conducts once every two years, questioned 17,000 high school students from across the country, asking them to report on their own mental health and behavior. In a few respects, the news is good, pointing to the success of some public health interventions aimed at teens: kids are less likely to take drugs than they have been in previous decades, for example, and fewer of them are having unprotected sex.