Public Affairs Conference 2023 - Leading Our Kids Out of the Dark

In early 2023, the Centers for Disease Control reported that a shocking number of American teens experience severe mental health challenges, up to and including suicidal thoughts, and that these numbers seem to have worsened through the pandemic. Well over half of teenage girls reported symptoms of depression in 2021, and their revelations of both sexual trauma and suicidal thoughts dramatically increased. 52% of LGBTQ+ teens reported extreme mental distress, including 22% who have attempted suicide. Theorized causes—all exacerbated by pandemic-era events—range from social media, isolation, and school pressure, to global events and contentious politics, to parental distress and disengagement. How can we make inroads into the complex and potentially devastating problem of adolescent mental health, and how can we all share in the responsibility of society’s children?

Free