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Adolescent mental health, COVID-19, and the value of school-community partnerships
  1. Marci F Hertz,
  2. Lisa Cohen Barrios
  1. Division of Adolescent and School Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
  1. Correspondence to Marci F Hertz, Research Application Branch Division of Adole, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA; MHertz{at}cdc.gov

Abstract

Newly released 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System data and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC)’2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary and Trends Report show that US adolescents continue to suffer from poor mental health and suicidality at alarming rates. These data alone would be cause for concern, but the COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to further erode adolescent mental health, particularly for those whose mental health was poor prior to the pandemic. Given the status of adolescent mental health prior to COVID-19 and the impact of COVID-19, health professionals and schools must partner together now to mitigate potentially deleterious health, mental health and education impacts for children and adolescents.

  • suicide/self-harm
  • adolescent
  • school
  • mental health

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Footnotes

  • Contributors Both MFH and LCB were involved in the conceptualisation and writing of this manuscript and have participated substantially to warrant inclusion as authors.

  • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

  • Disclaimer The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

  • Competing interests None declared.

  • Patient and public involvement Patients and/or the public were not involved in the design, or conduct, or reporting, or dissemination plans of this research.

  • Patient consent for publication Not required.

  • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.