Okay, But Why Are Kids Struggling With Their Mental Health?

Kids today have a lot to worry about. Getting through adolescence was hard enough in generations past, but these days, kids have more anxieties than ever. And who can blame them? There were 83 school shootings in 2024 and gun violence is now the number one cause of death for kids.

In 2023, 40% of high school students reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, and that increases to 53% when you just ask girls. And if you ask LGBTQ kids, that number goes all the way up to 65%. Even sadder, suicide has become the second-leading cause of death for kids between 10 and 14.

There’s a lot of concern about kids’ phone use, especially social media, and that certainly plays a role. But some experts believe that just two things are primarily to blame for most mental health crises: poverty and violence. And of course the Trump administration has been making both of those issues worse, catering to the NRA and cutting programs that support working families. He closed the White House Office for Gun Violence Prevention and, just last month, approved the sale of “forced reset triggers” that allow normal guns to fire like machine guns.

Trump also cut $1 billion in funding for student mental health services. Yes, one billion dollars taken away from helping kids with their mental health.

There’s no lack of internet opinions about parenting, and when it comes to things like social media, you know your own kids best. But we know how to improve outcomes for kids across the country: funding for mental health services, better gun safety laws, assistance for families who need help with food or housing, and protection for kids who live with domestic abuse. The Trump administration has been moving us backwards on every one of these issues and it’s on us to speak up for kids.

For a transcript of this episode, please email [e-mail].

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