MPR News with Angela Davis

Youth mental health is in a state of emergency. How is Minnesota responding?

A teen girl works on a laptop
The percentage of teens reporting “persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness” jumped from 26 percent to 37 percent between 2009 and 2019. In 2021, it was 44 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 
Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

In 2021, leading medical groups and the U.S. Surgeon General declared youth mental health a national emergency, citing increased rates of depression, hopelessness and thoughts of suicide. 

The percentage of teens reporting “persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness” jumped from 26 percent to 37 percent between 2009 and 2019. In 2021, it was 44 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

On Tuesday, American Public Media’s Call to Mind initiative explored the mental health experiences of young people across the nation. And it took a close look at schools’ role on  the frontlines of the youth mental health crisis. 

On Wednesday, MPR News host Angela Davis continued the conversation. She talked with three guests about how the mental health crisis is affecting Minnesota youth and schools. 

Guests: