“Understanding the mental health crisis afflicting American teens” was aired on NPR on December 23rd. A reporter who has studied this subject was interviewed about his latest findings. Early in the interview, the host of the show made this statement:
“While there’s no clear consensus among experts on the root of the problem, there is research that provides important insights into the nature of teens’ suffering and some treatments that show promise.”
In this interview the major guess at the cause of these problems is that environmental factors have become too overwhelming for teens to process. Loneliness was cited as common and the discussion detailed how resources to handle such issues are nowhere near sufficient.
Teenage mental problems are now considered a “common” problem.