What really matters: prioritizing youth mental health in an age of growing uncertainty

Abstract

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.