The data on youth mental health show an alarming decline for several decades. Uncertainties generated by existential threats such as climate change, pandemics, and geopolitical and military conflicts as well as the rapid social and economic disruptions wrought by the digital revolution have contributed to this decline. Students seeking mental health services have overwhelmed the capacities of educational institutions to serve them. Globally, youth suicide rates have continued to rise. Currently, much of the attention of the public and media is focused on the learning loss that occurred during the pandemic. The crisis in youth mental health deserves at least as much, if not more, attention. Yet, school systems in many countries appear to be returning to the status quo ante, reverting to the neoliberal policies that have played a major role in increasing the pressures and stress that many students report feeling. Required to pursue a standardized curriculum and facing high-stakes tests, students typically have few opportunities to explore and discover their interests and talents that could lead to understanding themselves as efficacious individuals capable of impacting an uncertain world. We could relieve some of the pressure with greater personalization and by replacing high-stakes assessments with approaches to evaluating learning that focus on students’ ability to apply knowledge and enable them to assess their own understanding. Such approaches can help improve their self-efficacy, self-image, confidence, and sense of control over their circumstances, thereby mitigating their sense of uncertainty.

青少年心理健康的数据显示，几十年来，青少年心理健康状况出现了惊人的下降。气候变化、流行病、地缘政治和军事冲突等生存威胁所产生的不确定性，以及数字革命造成的快速社会和经济破坏，导致了这种下降。寻求心理健康服务的学生已经超出了教育机构为他们提供服务的能力。全球范围内，青少年自杀率持续上升。目前，公众和媒体的大部分注意力都集中在大流行期间发生的学习损失上。青少年心理健康危机至少值得同样（甚至更多）关注。然而，许多国家的学校系统似乎正在恢复到原来的状态，回到新自由主义政策，这些政策在增加许多学生所感受到的压力和压力方面发挥了重要作用。由于需要学习标准化课程并面临高风险的考试，学生通常很少有机会探索和发现自己的兴趣和才能，而这些兴趣和才能可以让学生了解自己是能够影响不确定世界的高效个体。我们可以通过更大的个性化来减轻一些压力，并用注重学生应用知识的能力并使他们能够评估自己的理解的学习评估方法取代高风险的评估。这些方法可以帮助提高他们的自我效能、自我形象、自信和对环境的控制感，从而减轻他们的不确定感。