Commentary
Recently, the Wall Street Journal reported a huge increase in the percentage of American high school students suffering from depression.
The numbers are grim: “In 2021, 57% of high-school girls reported experiencing persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness in the past year, compared with 36% in 2011. Thirty percent reported they seriously considered attempting suicide in 2021, up from 19% in 2011.”
This mental health epidemic would be a tragedy under any circumstances, but given the multifarious ways in which adult Americans are exacerbating the problem, it’s a shameful scandal, too.
Adolescence can be a very challenging stage of life in the best of times. Millions of teens are trying to feel comfortable in their own skins. Many teens experience additional challenges, such as a broken home, an alcoholic or drug-impaired parent, the death of a loved one, bullying, social cliquishness among peers, or being sexually assaulted, exploited, or abused. This list is long….