Understanding the Adolescent Mental Health Crisis - A Dive into the Data and Hope for Change
We're in the midst of a mental health crisis among our young people, and it's not just happening here in the United States; rather, it’s a global problem. Depression rates among adolescents increased from 8.1% in 2009 to 15.8% in 2019—nearly doubling in a decade.[1] Anxiety disorders now affect approximately one in three teens.[2] Hospital admissions for suicidal teenagers have doubled over the past decade.[3]
The good news? The world's leading minds are coming together to address this crisis, finally!
A Turning Point
Just this week, Dartmouth College is hosting a groundbreaking three-day symposium that underscores how seriously the global community is taking youth mental health. "A Global Turning Point: Why Youth Well-Being Is in Crisis, and What We Must Do About It" will bring together dozens of leading international scholars, physicians, advocates, experts, and policymakers from around the world, including six former U.S. Surgeons General.
Co-hosted by Dartmouth and the United Nations Development Programme's Human Development Report Office, the symposium (October 26-28, 2025) will explore why the mental health of young people is declining worldwide and what can be done to reverse the trend.
It will feature some of the most influential voices in psychology and social science, including Jean Twenge (author of Generation Me and The Narcissism Epidemic), Jonathan Haidt (author of The Anxious Generation and The Coddling of the American Mind, a book I have referenced in many of my own writings), and Robert Putnam (author of Bowling Alone). Attendees will come from Bangladesh, Brazil, the European Union, India, Iraq, Jordan, and many other countries, reflecting the truly global nature of this crisis.
The Statistics Are Dire
The statistics are sobering. During 2021-2023, depression prevalence among U.S. adolescents aged 12-19 reached 19.2%, and was even higher for adolescent females, 26.5%.[4] That means more than one in four teenage girls are experiencing depression, an astonishing statistic!
Anxiety disorders affect an estimated 31.9% of teens, making them the most common mental health condition in this age group.[5] Between 2016 and 2022, antidepressant medication dispensing rates for children, adolescents, and young adults increased by 66.3%.[6]
Perhaps the most troubling data point is that approximately 13% to 17% of adolescents engage in self-harming behaviors, typically starting between ages 11-15 and peaking between 15-17.[7]
These increases aren't limited to the United States. Globally, one in seven young people ages 10-19 experiences a mental disorder.[8] The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated these trends, with anxiety disorder incidence jumping from 720 per 100,000 before the pandemic to 881 per 100,000 during it, and major depressive disorder climbing from 2,334 per 100,000 to 3,030 per 100,000.[9]
In our own practice at Crossbridge Consulting, we've witnessed this global dimension firsthand. We've seen a significant increase in inquiries from international families seeking mental health support for their teens. Many countries throughout the world simply don't have the robust mental health services and specialized treatment options that we have here in the United States. Parents from around the globe are reaching out, desperately seeking help for their struggling adolescents—a sobering reminder that this crisis transcends borders and cultures.
The Contributing Factors
Understanding what's behind the rise in adolescent anxiety and depression is complex, but several key factors have emerged from research, including the following. These factors often interact and compound each other, creating a perfect storm during this vulnerable developmental period:
Social Media and Screen Time
The evidence linking social media use to poor mental health outcomes is substantial. Teens who spend more than three hours per day on social media face double the risk of experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety.[10] As of 2021, eighth and tenth graders spend an average of 3.5 hours per day on social media, and that doesn't include other screen time, like gaming.[11]
Teens themselves are recognizing this issue. In 2024, 45% of teens said they spend too much time on social media, up from just 27% in 2023.[12] Nearly one-third of adolescents report using screen media until midnight or later on typical weekdays.[13]
The impact isn't uniform, however. The relationship between social media and mental health is influenced by individual vulnerabilities, the nature of engagement, and broader social context. Image-driven platforms like Instagram show up in surveys as particularly likely to make young people report feeling anxiety, depression, and concerns about body image.[14]
Social media affects mental health both directly and indirectly. Sleep deprivation, one of the most common contributors to depression in teenagers, is often caused or worsened by late-night social media use. Research shows that 60% of adolescents look at their phones in the last hour before sleep, and they get on average an hour less sleep than peers who don't use phones before bed.[15]
Academic and Social Pressures
Today's teens face unprecedented pressure to excel, academically, athletically, artistically, and socially. Heavy academic loads, strained relationships with peers and teachers, and high expectations all contribute to stress that can trigger or worsen mental health issues.
The constant need to "fit in" and present a perfect image (both online and offline) creates relentless anxiety. Many teens feel they must curate a perfect life on social media, always appearing happy and beautiful, while fearing rejection if their friends discover the "real" them.
Other Contributing Factors
Family conflict, bullying, trauma, and adverse childhood experiences (like divorce, a death in the famiy, poverty, and more) all play significant roles. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated these trends through school closures, social isolation, and general uncertainty. In our own practice, we've seen the greatest increases in depression and anxiety among girls, particularly Hispanic and Asian females.
A Call to Action
Policy change has always been an interest of mine: first as a political science major, then as a social worker. In graduate school at Columbia School of Social Work, I was particularly intrigued by my policy classes, largely because of a wonderful professor, John Robertson, who showed me how policy shapes the lives of the families and children we serve. He demonstrated how one person can really make a difference.
Though there's much to be done to affect the cultural change needed for better teen mental health, we're witnessing small shifts, and this is encouraging. Many schools are moving toward tech-free policies during school hours, and educators are seeing the impact: less distraction, less comparison, less anxiety. When we visit tech-free schools, we see students engaged with each other instead of their screens, showing how one small rule change can have a powerful social and emotional impact.
The fact that Dartmouth and the United Nations are bringing the world's leading minds together this week suggests we may see real systemic solutions. But these "macro" changes will take time.
In the meantime, there's so much parents can do on the "micro" level to improve their teen's mental health. [Read my post for practical strategies for parents.] Your relationship with your teen is one of the most powerful protective factors they have. You don't have to be perfect. You just have to show up, stay present, and keep trying.
Citations
Daly, M. (2022). Prevalence of Depression Among Adolescents in the U.S. From 2009 to 2019: Analysis of Trends by Sex, Race/Ethnicity, and Income. Journal of Adolescent Health, 70(3), 496-499.
National Institute of Mental Health. (2024). Anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. Retrieved from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness
Plemmons, G., et al. (2018). Hospitalization for Suicide Ideation or Attempt: 2008–2015. Pediatrics, 141(6).
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. (2025). Depression prevalence in adolescents and adults: United States, August 2021–August 2023. National Health Statistics Reports, No. 527.
Compass Health Center. (2024). Teen Mental Health Facts and Statistics 2024. Retrieved from https://compasshealthcenter.net/blog/teen-mental-health-statistics/
Chua, K. P., et al. (2024). Trends in Antidepressant Dispensing to U.S. Children and Adolescents, 2016-2022. Pediatrics.
SingleCare. (2025). Teen mental health statistics 2025. Retrieved from https://www.singlecare.com/blog/news/teen-mental-health-statistics/
World Health Organization. (2024). Mental health of adolescents. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-mental-health
Zhu, S., et al. (2025). Global burden of depression and anxiety disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic. Frontiers in Pharmacology.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2023). Social Media and Youth Mental Health: The U.S. Surgeon General's Advisory. Retrieved from https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/sg-youth-mental-health-social-media-advisory.pdf
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2023). Social Media and Youth Mental Health: The U.S. Surgeon General's Advisory.
Pew Research Center. (2025). Teens, social media and mental health: What teens and their parents say. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2025/04/22/teens-social-media-and-mental-health/
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2023). Social Media and Youth Mental Health: The U.S. Surgeon General's Advisory.
