The Mental Health Crisis Among American Youth

The Mental Health Crisis Among American Youth

This article relates to Dogs

In C. Mallon's debut novel Dogs, we follow a group of young people who feel lost and forgotten, chasing artificial highs through drug and alcohol abuse. Chief among them is Hal, whose internalized childhood trauma and identity struggles have led to major issues with depression and self-harm. Though the exact timeframe of the novel is not stated, pop culture references and context clues imply events are taking place around the early 1990s. Societal stigma at the time surrounding mental health and sexuality explains Hal's reluctance to address many of his issues directly. Much of his pain goes unspoken until he reaches a devastating and destructive breaking point, highlighting the importance of seeking help.

This message becomes even more potent when considering the rise in mental health problems among American youth over the last several decades, continuing into the present day. In 2024, the US fell outside the top 20 in the World Happiness Report for the first time in its 20-year history. The report is the largest of its kind, analyzing data from 140 countries to assess quality of life, well-being, and satisfaction. The 2024 report emphasizes differences between age groups. Most regions around the world show higher levels of happiness among young people, declining as we age. In North America, however, the reverse is now true, with young people's happiness levels having plummeted in recent years, falling well below older demographics. Americans aged 60+ ranked 10th globally for levels of happiness, while Americans aged 30 and under ranked 62nd, exposing a vast generational divide in mental well-being.

Looking back to examine how and when this decline started, recent findings have revealed that the use of antidepressants among US children and teenagers may have soared by as much as fivefold in the early '90s. Suicide rates among US adolescents also increased between 1999 and 2014. This was particularly true among girls aged 10–14, where the rates tripled during this period.

Evidence since then has consistently suggested that social factors such as gender and sexuality play a key role in how likely a young person is to experience mental health issues. A 2023 study showed that 53% of high school students identifying as female reported depressive symptoms compared to 28% of male students, while 65% of students identifying on the LGBTQ+ spectrum experienced depressive symptoms compared to 31% of the students identifying as heterosexual. These discrepancies were also apparent when looking at suicidal thoughts and behavior, with 13% of female students experiencing these issues compared to 6% of male students, and 20% of LGBTQ+ students experiencing them compared to 6% of heterosexual students.

The relationship between these factors is complex and nuanced. Persistent societal prejudices like misogyny, homophobia, and transphobia undeniably bring additional stress to queer teens and girls/young women. Research also suggests, however, that these demographics are the most likely to report mental health issues and seek professional help. Ingrained issues like toxic masculinity foster a "boys don't cry" mentality, so mental health issues may simply be underreported for those identifying as male.

Other factors that are believed to negatively affect the mental health of young people include social media and its culture of constant comparison, the rising cost of living and the difficulty of getting on the property ladder compared to previous generations, the stress and isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, political and social divides, the emergence of new international conflicts, and the worsening climate crisis. It's also worth noting that better awareness and less stigma surrounding mental health mean more young people feel able to speak openly about their issues and seek help, which will boost the number of reported cases of depression.

Regardless of the causes, stories like Dogs remind us why having support networks in place and empowering young people to use them is more important than ever.

Filed under Society and Politics

This article relates to Dogs. It first ran in the September 10, 2025 issue of BookBrowse Recommends.