Okay, But Why Are Kids Struggling With Their Mental Health?

This is heartbreaking and overwhelming. But these statistics give us clues on what we can do to help. It’s not that we need to stop our kids from feeling anxious, scared, or depressed. Their feelings are reasonable reactions to what they are witnessing and experiencing in the world around them: things like racism, poverty, gun violence, climate change, homophobia. But we can help them cope and overcome in healthy ways.

Root Causes of Kids’ Mental Health Struggles

Here’s a snapshot of some of the things young people are dealing with these days:

• There were 83 school shootings in 2024, and gun violence is now the number one cause of death for kids.
• The Covid-19 pandemic created a pervasive sense of fear and physical isolation, and in many cases, it led to the death of loved ones.
• Climate change is causing wildfires, hurricanes and rising temperatures, but kids don’t see adults taking action to stop it.
• 5.6 million kids who are U.S. citizens live with the fear that an undocumented family member will be taken away.

On top of all this, we now have smartphones and social media. While many people believe it’s making our kids miserable, the research and opinions from child psychologists is mixed. Social media can make anxious kids more anxious, but for kids who are struggling to find friends who understand them, like some in the LGBTQ community, it’s a chance to connect with other kids who share their experiences. On the other hand, teenagers with the highest levels of social media use also report the highest rates of loneliness. Body image and self-esteem can suffer when kids are presented with perfect, curated images on apps like Instagram. It’s a complicated issue, with data and well-meaning experts on both sides.

The Impact of Poverty on Kids’ Mental Health

According to a 2013 study, economically disadvantaged kids are 2 to 3 times more likely to develop mental health conditions than those whose families have a higher income. The Biden administration passed an unprecedented number of laws to help families, like an expansion of the Child Tax Credit and through the Emergency Rental Assistance program. Unfortunately, the Trump budget is terrible for working families. It raises taxes for the poorest 10% of Americans while cutting taxes for the richest 10%. Plus, the Trump Administration is cutting billions of dollars in funding for things like Medicaid and food stamps.

The Impact of Gun Violence on Mental Health

Kids are worried about being shot in school, but we know that passing gun sense legislation works. Unfortunately the Trump administration has been doing the exact opposite, starting with shutting down the White House Office on Gun Violence Prevention, and rolling back safety measures that keep domestic abusers from buying guns. The administration also recently approved the sale of forced reset triggers, which allow normal guns to fire like machine guns. If we really want to protect kids, both physically and mentally, we need to stand up against gun violence. As Democrat Chris Murphy said, when we take action, we see results.

Working Towards a Solution to the Mental Health Crisis

If you go online, you’ll find tons of studies and opinions on what we need to do to help our kids. But it really comes down to two things: having access to mental health support while also addressing the root causes.

Across the country, schools have been working hard to support their students. Teachers are often the first to notice if a kid is struggling and connect them to counselors, nurses or administrators who can help. But Trump issued an executive order that cut $1 billion in funding for student mental health grants. This is a clear step in the wrong direction if we want to help our kids.

Okay, so what are some concrete steps we can take to move us in the right direction? The best thing we can do is start locally, like volunteering to help ensure kids get meals during summer break when they aren’t able to get them at school, donating to a local food pantry, or advocating for safer schools. If you’re not sure where to start or what impact you can make on your own, find a local group to get involved with. Click here to find a group near you.