n recent years, the mental health of young people in the United States has been steadily deteriorating, but during the pandemic it has been dealt the most serious blow. As noted in the report of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2021, more than 40% of high school students at times experienced such severe sadness or hopelessness that they could not do their usual things and study, and 22% seriously thought about committing suicide.

Reports on the results of the study of risk-related behaviors among young people are published by the CDC every two years. The data in the latter of them refers to the fall of 2021, when the study covered more than 17 thousand students of senior secondary schools in the United States. According to the head of the Department of Children's and School Health, Kathleen Etier, in 30 years of collecting such data, "we have never seen such frightening results." If in 2011 sadness and hopelessness, which are signs of depression, were experienced by 28% of surveyed schoolchildren, now their number has grown to 42%. 2011% developed a specific suicide plan in 13, and 2021% in 18. 8% tried to commit suicide then, in 2021 - 10%.

As the CDC data shows, it was especially difficult for girls during the pandemic. Almost 60% of schoolgirls were depressed, 30% of them contemplated suicide, 10% tried to commit suicide. Mental health problems in 2021 (in the 30 days preceding the survey) were experienced by 29% of students, of which 41% were girls.

In 2011, sadness and hopelessness were regularly felt by 21% of high school boys, in 2021 their share rose to 29%. Complaints of mental health problems in 2021 were in 18% of young men. 14% of young men seriously considered the option of suicide (in 2011 there were 13%). The number of boys who made a suicide plan has not so much increased dramatically as that of girls: in 2011 there were 11%, in 2021 - 12%. In 2011, 6% of surveyed young schoolchildren reported that they tried to commit suicide, in 2021 this share was 7%.

 
According to experts, the deterioration of the mental health situation during the pandemic is due to forced isolation, the transition to distance learning and the resulting increase in the time that adolescents spent on social networks. This increased levels of uncertainty and anxiety, especially among girls. Experts are calling for a major reform of the system of prevention of mental health problems of young people. In particular, they suggest, in schools children need to be explained how to cope with stress, conflict situations, and feelings of loneliness.