OCMH Senior Research Analyst Amy Marsman spotlights recent articles, resources, and research findings impacting youth mental health.
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YRBS 2023 Data Released
DPI released the latest round of Wisconsin YRBS data revealing another drop in school belonging and concerning rates of anxiety, depression, self-harm and suicidality among Wisconsin’s high school students. The data come from the 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), a long-running nationwide survey of high school students, which is the cornerstone of youth mental health data.
County-level reports will be released later in the summer on the Conducting a YRBS page. School-level reports are already available to school and district personnel through DPI’s secure reporting tool, SAFE.
Joint Research Study Found Native American Teens Underrepresented in CDC’s YRBS
Using 2021 YRBS data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a team from Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Cherokee Nation and the University of Oklahoma-University of Tulsa School of Community Medicine studied how teens who self-reported as American Indian/Alaska Natives (AI/AN) were reclassified.
Of the 816 teens who self-reported as AI/AN in the YRBS, only 145 teens were computed as being AI/AN – only those who had reported AI/AN alone. The study was published in the American Journal of Public Health. Nationally, more than 60% of those who identified as AI/AN were multiracial in the most recent Census. In Wisconsin, twice as many AI/AN children were counted as multiracial (3.5%) than AI/AN alone (1.3%), according to the National Indian Child Welfare Association.
In other work, researchers have found the way the U.S. government collects, aggregates, and publishes race and ethnicity data can lead to the exclusion of more than three-quarters of Native Americans from some official data sets. Experts say racial misclassification and the underrepresentation of Native populations can have real consequences because national data, like the YRBS, is used by many researchers across the country, which can establish policy priorities and drive funding.
Kids Online Health and Safety Task Force Announces Recommendations and Best Practices
A federal task force, co-led by SAMHSA, released a new report with recommendations and best practices for safer social media and online platform use for youth. The recommendations in the report, Online Health and Safety for Children and Youth: Best Practices for Families and Guidance for Industry, underscore the Biden Administration’s efforts to address the ongoing youth mental health crisis. Task Force members also committed to future actions, including providing more resources for kids, teenagers and families, guidance for pediatricians and conducting more research. Companion materials include:
Additional resources are available through the SAMHSA-funded Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health, run by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Short-term Reductions in Screen Use Can Improve Kids Mental Health
A new report supports the idea that placing screen time limits on kids is beneficial. The analysis found that a short-term reduction in screen time in families positively impacted kids' and teens' mental health and behavior and resulted in more positive social interactions. More research is needed to confirm whether these effects last in the long term. Experts advise that families discuss screen use openly and often and craft a family media plan, as recommended by the AAP.
High School Graduation Rates Improved
The latest data from the 2021–22 school year show that the nation reached a historic high of 87% of high school students graduating on time. High school graduation rates are a key indicator of youth well-being. Students who graduate from high school are more likely to pursue postsecondary education and training and have better long-term outcomes (health, financial, and life satisfaction) than those who do not graduate.
On-time graduation rates improved for all racial and ethnic groups from 2013–2014 to 2021–2022, with some demonstrating substantial progress. However, racial inequities in educational opportunities and outcomes remain a serious problem, and disparities in graduation rates between racial groups remain.
Socioeconomic Disadvantage and Youth Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown
This cohort study found that the COVID-19 lockdown was associated with disproportionately negative mental health outcomes among youths from higher, not lower, socioeconomic status backgrounds. Although the study does not shed light on the direct mechanisms driving these associations, the results suggest that socioeconomic status could be important for targeting treatment approaches to youth. Future research is recommended to understand whether these associations were short-term or persist over longer periods of time.
When Families Need Housing, This State Will Pay for Foster Care Rather Than Provide Assistance
In more than 700 cases over five years, Georgia reported inadequate housing as the sole reason for taking a child into foster care, an analysis found. Researchers analyzed data from the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System to examine the reasons Georgia’s child welfare agency reported for taking children into foster care.
In recent years, child welfare advocates and policymakers across the country have been working to prevent situations like this, arguing that no parent should ever lose their children just because they can’t afford housing. A handful of states now have laws and policies prohibiting government agencies from taking children into foster care because of homelessness. Child welfare agencies in several states have invested in programs aimed at preserving families whose children are at risk of being removed or who are having trouble getting reunited because of housing. A New Jersey program served around 1,000 families and found 90% of the families in its program were still housed after two years. (Related programs in Wisconsin include the Department of Children and Families' Emergency Assistance program and the Department of Health Services' Housing Support Services Health Services Initiative.)
World's Largest Brain Study of Child Trauma Uncovers Rewiring
The world's largest brain study of childhood trauma has revealed how it affects development and rewires vital pathways. The study uncovered a disruption in neural networks involved in self-focus and problem-solving. This means youth who experienced abuse will likely struggle with emotions, empathy, and understanding their bodies. Difficulties in school caused by memory, hard mental tasks, and decision making may also emerge.
Adverse Childhood Experiences and Anxiety Contribute to Chronic Pain in Adults
In this review and meta-analysis, 79% of the evaluated studies reported a moderate to strong association between ACEs, anxiety, and chronic pain. Regarding the prevalence of ACEs in the setting of chronic pain, half (50%) of all patients reported experiencing sexual abuse, approximately half (46%) reported physical abuse, approximately one-third (33%) reported emotional abuse, and approximately one-quarter reported emotional neglect (25%) or physical neglect (23%). Report authors suggest providers, educators, and those who work in mental health with adults who suffer from anxiety and chronic pain may benefit by also screening for a history of adversity, so they can more comprehensively support them and help them achieve more positive outcomes in adult life.
Climate Change Concerns, Climate Change Risk, and Mental Health Among LGBTQ+ Young People
LGBTQ+ young people report high levels of climate change anxiety, with the majority (55%) reporting that they worry about it frequently, according to research from The Trevor Project. Climate change plays a critical role in the physical and mental health of the general population and has been argued to have an even more significant impact on historically disadvantaged communities, such as people of color, low-income individuals, and LGBTQ+ people.
Actionable Strategies for People with Disabilities
In an article on improving healthcare accessibility, including mental health care, for people with disabilities, researchers from the The Center for Mental Health Promotion at Utah State describe trends in rural health care for people with disabilities. Using data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, researchers found people with disabilities living in rural areas are just as likely to develop chronic health conditions and experience frequent mental distress as those living in urban areas.
However, healthcare resource availability is typically lower in rural communities compared to urban communities due to differences in economic and healthcare infrastructure. Because needed services are already underfunded and stressed, rural communities are in need of more robust services to effectively improve the well-being and quality of life for people with disabilities. The authors first recommendation is to promote community engagement, inclusion, and well-being. See OCMH’s recent Supporting Kids with Disabilities Fact Sheet for recommendations on improving mental health outcomes for children with disabilities.
Babies born with a common congenital viral infection are nearly 2.5 times more likely to be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder
Children who contracted a viral infection known as congenital cytomegalovirus in utero may be nearly two and half times more likely to be diagnosed with autism, a study from the University of Michigan suggests. Congenital CMV is the most common congenital infection in the U.S., affecting one in every 200 babies. While most infants with congenital CMV are healthy, nearly one in five experience birth defects or other long term health problems. The risk of having an autism diagnosis was more than four and a half times more likely among females born with the condition compared to those without it and twice as likely for male babies, according to the study in the American Academy of Pediatrics journal Pediatrics.
Mental Health America (MHA) Releases 2024 Report & Rankings
MHA released their annual State of Mental Health in America report, which ranks all 50 states and the District of Columbia according to 15 mental health access and prevalence measures. Wisconsin is ranked 13th overall, 14th for adult mental health and 12th for youth mental health.
Suicide is a Public Health Issue
Suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth and young adults ages 10-24. Taking action to prevent suicide – using a public health approach is urged in this collection – which provides data, reviews root causes, and suggests actions to take including addressing access to lethal means, crisis response, public policy, funding, and messaging.
The Lancet Psychiatry announces new approach to reporting lived experience in research
The Lancet Psychiatry, a scientific journal respected globally which publishes peer reviewed research, announced that authors submitting articles to the journal should detail how they have incorporated lived experience into their research. The lived experience of people with mental health issues is especially important in mental health research, where biomarkers are often not the most relevant measure of conditions that by their nature affect the experience of self, mood, thought, distress, and interpersonal connection. Also noted was psychiatry’s “uncomfortable history of ethical transgressions and damaging power dynamics….heightens the urgency of listening to people's experiences connected to mental health or ill health and to redressing the balance of power in the creation of knowledge, health-care practices, and policy.”
See related article on meaningful involvement of people with mental illness in the research process.
The Science of Engaging Youth Lived Experience in Health Research, Practice, and Policy
There is a growing body of evidence demonstrating the value of incorporating youth voices in the development of research and programming aimed at supporting youth well-being. Last fall, the Forum for Children’s Well-Being hosted a two-day virtual public workshop, The Science of Engaging Youth Lived Experience in Health Research, Practice, and Policy, which was designed to explore the impacts of youth participatory methods including the potential for participatory methods to produce more effective, relevant, and sustainable interventions; the potential for participatory methods to engage historically marginalized communities among youth; the challenges of instituting participatory methods, including time, budgetary expenditures, and training; and opportunities to better incorporate participatory methods into research, systems, and programs for child well-being. Read about the challenges, training and supports, models and lessons in the National Academies Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief.
Data Commons Allows Anyone to Easily Explore and Analyze Data
Data Commons is an initiative from Google that organizes and makes publicly available data more accessible. Bringing together data from the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Census Bureau, Eurostat, and over 100 other agencies, Data Commons allows users, including researchers, students, journalists, and policymakers, to explore and analyze data on health, jobs, economics, climate, demographics, and more.
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OCMH Research and Data Resources
Key Facts in Youth Mental Health: https://children.wi.gov/Pages/ResearchData/KeyFacts.aspx
Data Sources: https://children.wi.gov/Pages/Resources/DataSources.aspx
Fact Sheets: https://children.wi.gov/Pages/ResearchData/FactSheets.aspx
Youth Mental Health Initiatives: https://children.wi.gov/Pages/Resources/ChildrensInitiatives.aspx
Research News in Youth Mental Health: https://children.wi.gov/Pages/OCMHNewsletters.aspx
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