The Wisconsin Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) had some sobering statistics about teen mental health, including that:
- More than half of all students self-reported “significant problems with anxiety,” with 80.5 percent of students who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual and 66.2 percent of female students reporting anxiety.
- Over one third of students surveyed reported feeling sad or hopeless almost every day for more than two weeks in a row (the highest rate since the YRBS was first administered).
- 18 percent of all students seriously considered suicide in the past twelve months (and nearly half of all lesbian, gay, and bi students)
- In all areas, several categories of students not only reported experiencing greater challenges, they also reported having fewer supports..
- The DPI summary is worth looking at more closely!
What does this mean for us for programs, collections, relationships, and connections?? I am guessing it might mean a lot. I’d love to hear what you have been thinking about and doing in this regard, or hear what has been tricky about it. Let’s talk about it!
Resources:
Quick Guide to Checking In with Teens about Their Mental Health from DPI is really useful!
If you have more time, consider taking a QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) course about suicide prevention (about 2 hours) or Youth Mental Health First Aid Course (6-8 hours).