Earlier this year, researchers at John Hopkins Children’s Center published a study providing insight on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on pre-existing mental health challenges among youth ages 8 to 20 years old. Across the sample of youth included in the study, most races and genders were found to have increased post-pandemic rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation and behaviors, with the highest increases found among females and Black, Asian, and Hispanic youth. The researchers noted how societal race-based stressors endured by racial minorities (e.g., an increase in Anti-Asian hate crimes) may have contributed to these disparities, in addition to physical isolation and disconnection and increased substance and social media consumption catalyzed by the onset of the pandemic.

These insights contribute to the ongoing conversation among researchers, practitioners, and systems leaders about the relationship between the pandemic and mental health challenges faced by youth. In 2023, the CDC found that teen girls and LGBTQ youth expressed the “highest rates of sadness recorded by the CDC in a decade” and last month US Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, referred to current conditions as “an epidemic of loneliness that has hit young people the hardest” in a newly released advisory for supporting parents and caregivers.

As federal agencies and national organizations continue to research the depth of this issue and explore solutions, state-level systems are also activating a range of levers to respond to these stark findings and improve outcomes for youth and their families. Some examples include a law enacted in North Carolina allocating funding from the American Rescue Plan Act to establish a grant program to hire school psychologists in 2021 (supplemented by an increase in their pay codified in 2023) and another law enacted in Rhode Island requiring school staff and students to be educated on suicide awareness and prevention. Additionally, this year over 15 states and Tribes were awarded funding to implement the Garrett Lee Smith State/Tribal Youth Suicide Prevention and Early Intervention program, designed to support youth up to age 24 using a variety of strategies to strengthen youth-serving systems (i.e., education, juvenile justice, foster care, behavioral health, and medical).

Below is a look into how states participating in our Building Ecosystems Statewide for Thriving (BEST) Youth   have taken action to respond to post-pandemic mental health trends for their youth:

Peer Support in Colorado and New York

Several states are securing funding to launch Youth Mental Health Corps, which will train youth ages 18+ to provide mental health support to their peers. Corps members earn stipends and state-specific credits toward education degrees in behavioral health. Colorado will be the first to implement this program, slated to begin later this year, and New York is on track to begin next year.

“Governor Hochul has made addressing mental health challenges, particularly those faced by youth, a key focus of her administration. We are proud to work in tandem with our many partners, both in New York State government and our extensive network of nonprofits, to address those challenges in a unique and innovative way.” – Linda Cohen, Executive Director, New York State Commission on National and Community Service

Wellness Education in Indiana

The Indiana Department of Education and Indiana Division of Mental Health and Addiction are collaborating to implement Project Advancing Wellness and Resilience in Education (AWARE). The goal of Project AWARE is to facilitate learnings and best practices across school districts on how to implement a range of wellness practices in school settings, such as mindfulness, yoga, suicide prevention, peer mentoring, and bullying prevention. Starting in 3 districts before the pandemic, Project AWARE is now being implemented in 19 Indiana school districts.

“As social media use increases and as we continue recovering from a worldwide pandemic, mental health supports have become even more critical for many in our community.” – Chris Himsel, Superintendent, Vigo County School Corp

Education Policy in Connecticut

In 2021, Connecticut established a School Emotional Learning and School Climate Advisory Collaborative to strategically build partnerships between community-based organizations and school support staff to increase shared learnings and practices related to supporting student mental health. During the same year, Connecticut also passed a law allowing students to take official mental health wellness days to focus on their “emotional and psychological well-being in lieu of attending school.”

“The need for mental health services for our youth continues year-round, and by enhancing existing programs and creating new initiatives tailored to their needs, we are investing in the future success and well-being of Connecticut’s youth”– Governor Ned Lamont on recent mental health grants awarded to schools and summer camps.

Innovation Planning in Maine

The state of Maine seeks to leverage their participation in the BEST Youth Initiative to respond to state-level findings about increasing mental health challenges among youth in their state, including a recent report indicating that 33% of middle schoolers report episodes of sadness and hopelessness. The Cross-Systems Consulting team is actively working with Maine system leaders and Maine residents who have been directly impacted by state systems to co-create strategies to address these trends.

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