COVID-19: How Teens Can Protect Their Mental Health

In 2019, a reported 36.8% of high schoolers used marijuana at least once. ⁶

33% of adolescents in America are victim to sexual, physical, verbal, or emotional dating abuse. ¹⁸

Nearly two in five 12th graders report using some kind of vaping device in the past year. ⁷

1 in 4 teens contract a sexually transmitted disease every year. ¹¹  

In the next 24 hours, 12 young people between the ages of 15-24 will die by suicide. ⁹

In the next 24 hours, 1,439 teens will attempt suicide. ¹⁴

In 2020, a reported 4.13% of youth in the United States reported having a substance use disorder. ⁸

90% of daily tobacco users begin by age 18 ¹³

In September 2020, over half of 11-17-year-olds reported having thoughts of suicide or self-harm. ¹⁶

37.3 percent of 12th graders reported vaping in the past 12 months ¹⁵

In 2020, 59% of youth with major depression did not receive any mental health treatment.⁸

21% of all new HIV diagnoses in the U.S. are among people aged 13-24 years old, most of those being 20-24. ¹⁹

59% of all students in grades 9 to 12 indicated that they had not yet had sex. ²¹

1 in 3 young people will be in an abusive or unhealthy relationship ²³

50% of young people who experience rape or physical or sexual abuse will attempt to commit suicide ²⁴

1 in 6 U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year. ¹

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth ages 12-18.  ³

Young people aged 15–24 years acquire half of all new STDs ⁴

44.88% of teens feel stressed “all the time.” ²⁵ 

59% of U.S. teens have personally experienced at least one type of abusive online behaviors. ²⁶

Roughly 40% of teenagers will try drugs at least once, which means 60% will not. ²⁸

The average 12th grader spends approximately 2 hours per day texting. ²⁹