OCMH Senior Research Analyst Amy Marsman spotlights recent articles, resources, and research findings impacting youth mental health.
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Use of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at National, Regional, and State Levels
The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline launched nationally in July 2022. In this study, researchers calculated lifetime and past-year incidence rates of 988 contacts and estimated prevalence of 988 use at national, regional, and state-levels. Nationally, 988 was contacted more than 16 million times between July 1, 2022, and December 31, 2024. Of all contacts, 70% were calls; 18% were texts; 12% were chats.
Suicidal Behaviors, Suicidal Ideation, and Addictive Screen Use Trajectories
Increasing child and adolescent use of social media, video games, and mobile phones has raised concerns about potential links to increased youth suicide rates. Prior research has largely focused on total screen time rather than longitudinal addictive use trajectories. In this cohort study of 4,285 U.S. adolescents, researchers found both high and increasing addictive screen use trajectories were associated with suicidal behaviors, suicidal ideation, and worse mental health in U.S. youth. Kids with high-peaking or increasing social media use or high video game use had more internalizing or externalizing symptoms.
Mental Health Data Channel
Recently the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched a new Mental Health Data Channel. The platform consolidates mental health data across CDC’s national and state data sources into a public-facing resource to showcase trends in mental health and well-being. It provides visualizations, explanations of trends, and resources aimed at improving mental health among youth and adults. The homepage includes a youth mental health data highlight.
Workshop Proceedings: Advancing Child and Youth Health Care System Transformation Proceedings of a Workshop
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's Forum for Children's Well-Being hosted an implementation summit titled Advancing Child and Youth Health System Transformation. This event convened a broad range of leaders to support the implementation of recommendations from the 2024 consensus study report Launching Lifelong Health by Improving Health Care for Children, Youth, and Families. That report responds to worsening child health outcomes in the U.S. - including increases in chronic conditions, mental health crises, and health inequities - and offers a roadmap to address these urgent challenges. At the workshop, invited speakers engaged in two moderated dialogues: one reflecting on the report's vision and recommendations, and the other highlighting innovative models for advancing healthcare for children, youth, and families. Each dialogue was followed by sessions where attendees collaborated to identify opportunities for scaling efforts, driving policy change, and fostering cross-sector partnerships to advance the report's goals. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussion of the workshop.
Investing in the Future: How Better Mental Health Benefits Everyone, Including $4 Trillion for the Global Economy
The McKinsey Health Institute released a report that concluded investing in mental health interventions could help individuals reclaim years of healthy life, have an economic return of $5-$6 for every $1 invested, and boost the global economy by up to $4.4 trillion in 2050. The report includes a focus on the ‘brain economy’ that recognizes cognitive, emotional, and social capabilities as critical assets for individuals navigating an increasingly complex and knowledge-driven world. Understanding the brain skills – cognitive, emotional, and social abilities such as analytical thinking, adaptability, creativity, and empathy – that drive productivity and innovation in the modern workforce, the authors advocate for scaling up known, cost-effective interventions to prevent, treat, and help people recover from mental health conditions.
Investing in Home Visiting: High-Quality Family Support in Early Years Continues to Yield Gains in Adolescence
From pregnancy to age five, the Preparing for Life (PFL) program provided parenting support and early learning tools to families in Dublin, Ireland. Ten years later, those early investments continue to yield and sustain significant gains, including significant cognitive gains. This evidence demonstrates that high-quality Early Childhood Education (ECE) interventions through a home visiting model have positive effects into the adolescent years. See related webinar hosted by The Heckman Equation on the evidence on early childhood interventions.
Social Media Use Predicted Future Depression in Tweens
Researchers and parents alike have tried to better understand the link between youth mental health and social media: Does social media fuel mental health struggles? Or are struggling kids more likely to turn to social media?
A new study followed nearly 12,000 preteens over three years starting at age 9 to 10, generating unique insights into how social media is shaping kids. Daily social media use among participants surged tenfold over those years, from about 7 minutes/day at age 9, to 74 minutes/day by age 13. During that same time frame, reported depression symptoms jumped 35 percent. The researchers found that an increase in social media use predicted a future rise in symptoms of depression. The lead author of the study spoke to The Washington Post about his team’s findings and observations.
Using data from the same cohort in a companion study, the same researcher found kids ages 11-12 who were cyberbullied were twice as likely to report suicidal thoughts or a suicide attempt within the following year.
Electronic Screen Use and Children’s Socioemotional Problems: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Longitudinal Studies
Spending too much time on screens may cause emotional and behavioral problems in children—and those problems can lead to even more screen use, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. The study, conducted by an international team of researchers, systematically reviewed and meta-analyzed 117 studies (the bulk from the U.S.), encompassing data from over 292,000 children worldwide.
They found that increased screen time for children under 10 can lead to depression, anxiety and behavioral problems, and kids with those problems often turn to screens to cope. Girls were generally more susceptible to developing socioemotional problems with greater screen use, while boys were more likely to increase screen use when facing socioemotional challenges. Gaming was associated with higher risks compared with educational or recreational screen use. Children experiencing socioemotional problems were also more likely to turn to games to cope.
The researchers noted that kids who use screens heavily might need emotional support, as well as restrictions on screen use. Parents could benefit from programs helping them handle both screen use and emotional problems in their children. Further, the authors argue that screen time guidelines should prioritize improving the quality of screen content and enhancing social interactions during screen use.
Social Media are Many Things: Addressing the Components and Patterns of Adolescent Social Media Use
Adolescent development is increasingly shaped by social media contexts, with implications for well-being. In this commentary, the authors discuss and present conceptual and methodological alternatives for two persistent limitations in prior research.
First, most prior work measures screen time, implicitly treating social media as a monolith. Emerging research highlights that social media are multifaceted environments where youth encounter diverse experiences. They advocate for more work taking this nuanced approach and for the development of a comprehensive taxonomic framework that categorizes specific online experiences afforded by social media features and content. To support this approach, they call for the development of psychometrically rigorous self-report scales to measure affective and cognitive social media experiences and for innovative behavioral observation techniques.
Second, research that considers specific online experiences typically focuses on one in isolation. The authors argue that a holistic approach to understanding human development requires integrating the numerous positive and negative online experiences that co-occur in distinct patterns for diverse adolescents. They discuss the merits of mixture models as one potential analytic solution to address the variety of adolescents’ online experiences. These conceptual and methodological shifts can lead to targeted interventions and policies that recognize the interactive effects of digital experiences.
Examining the Association of Adolescent Loneliness and Low Resilience with Anxiety and Depression in Young Adulthood
Loneliness is a recognized risk factor for anxiety and depression, yet research on its interaction with low resilience remains sparse, particularly across the adolescent-to-adult transition. This study investigates how adolescent loneliness, both independently and in interaction with low resilience, influences anxiety and depression in young adulthood. The researchers found that loneliness during adolescence independently predicted anxiety and depression in young adulthood. Adolescents experiencing both loneliness and low resilience showed notably higher risks compared to other groups. This underscores the importance of early interventions that focus on resilience-building during adolescence and reducing the impacts of loneliness on mental health.
Wisconsin Earns a C on Annual Report Card
In the 2025 Maternal Mental Health State Report Card, the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health found that the U.S. has made incremental progress, with an overall grade of a C-, improving slightly from a D+ in 2024. The report cards, covering 20 measures in three distinct domains, help to provide a comprehensive view into the status of maternal mental health in America. The overall grade for Wisconsin is C with the following domain scores:
- B – Screening and Screening Reimbursement
- D – Providers and Programs
- D – Insurance Coverage and Treatment Payment
The only neighboring state to receive a higher grade was Michigan (B-). No state earned an A grade.
More Med School Grads Choose Psychiatry—Again
Psychiatric News recently reported that a total of 1,975 graduating seniors at allopathic and osteopathic medical schools matched into psychiatry training programs as part of this year’s National Resident Matching Program. That figure is up from 1,823 last year and marks the 14th consecutive year that psychiatry has increased its match numbers. Additionally, 153 U.S. international medical graduates (IMGs) and 190 non-U.S. IMGs matched into psychiatry, as did 62 graduates from U.S. medical schools from a previous year, for a total of 2,380 new medical graduates who will begin psychiatry training later this year. Just eight psychiatry positions went unfilled this year. The annual match, in which the residency program choices of graduating medical students are paired with those of residency programs seeking trainees, is typically watched as an indicator of workforce size and makeup of the various medical specialties for the coming years. Psychiatry’s numbers have been increasing yearly since 2011.
Teen Sex, Relationship Skills, and Mental Health
Child Trends reported on the decline in teens having sex. Today’s high schoolers are reporting lower rates of sexual activity than previous generations. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) from 2023, 32% of high schoolers said they’ve ever had sexual intercourse. That’s a noticeable drop from 54% in 1991 and 47% in 2013.
Importantly, the YRBS asks, “Have you ever had sexual intercourse?”— but teens may interpret this differently based on their identities, experiences, and what they consider to be sex. For LGBTQ+ youth in particular, this question might not fully reflect their sexual experiences.
Child Trends state that a lack of sexual experience isn’t inherently positive or negative. But when lower rates of reported sexual activity occur alongside, they reflect a more complex reality for which adults must help prepare teens. Ensuring all young people—regardless of whether (or when) they become sexually active—have access to honest, developmentally appropriate information, and learn healthy relationship skills is key.
Less than 3% of ESSER Spending Went to Mental Health
Wisconsin school districts received approximately $2.3 billion in federal relief funds to mitigate the negative effects of COVID-19. According to the Wisconsin Policy Forum, the stakes surrounding the use of that money were substantial, both because of the cost to taxpayers and the level of need within schools.
The Wisconsin Policy Forum found that school districts in the state spent nearly $62.0 million on mental health services and supports, which made up 2.7% of all ESSER spending. Of the districts that spent anything in this category, the median amount was $91,736. Spending in this category focused on supporting relationship building, collaboration with mental health providers, parent trainings, therapy transportation costs, and behavioral screenings. The report noted that it is possible that districts used funds in other spending categories to support mental health services, as hiring additional staff in this area could be funded through multiple categories.
Clinician Use of Standardized Screening Tool for Substance Use Disorders Among Youth
In this cross-sectional study of 1,047 youth-serving clinicians from multiple primary care specialties, 57% reported that they routinely screen adolescents for substance use disorders at every well visit. Only 39% reported using a screening tool at every well visit. The researchers said the screening rates are below those recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, which call for the use of a standardized screening tool for substance use and Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) at every adolescent well-child visit.
A Survey of Adolescent and Caregiver Perceptions of Substance Use Screening in Pediatric Emergency Departments
Substance use among adolescents poses significant physical and mental health risks, and early identification is crucial. Understanding adolescents' and caregivers' perceptions toward substance use screening in emergency departments (EDs) is needed to develop acceptable and effective screening programs. Most adolescents and caregivers in this study did not definitely support substance use screening in EDs, and they identified distinct barriers and facilitators. Addressing concerns about privacy, legal consequences, and trust while leveraging digital tools and other follow-up resources may enhance screening acceptability and reach. Future clinical trials could leverage this information to design and evaluate interventions for optimal substance use screening among adolescents in EDs.
From Loneliness to Social Connection: Building a More Connected, Healthier World with Social Health
This global report from the WHO Commission on Social Connection highlights that social isolation and loneliness are widespread, with serious but under-recognized impacts on health, well-being, and society. Drawing on the latest evidence, the report makes a compelling case for urgent action. It outlines practical, scalable solutions to strengthen social connection – and calls on policymakers, researchers, and all sectors to treat social health with the same urgency as physical and mental health. The Commissioners envision a future where stronger social bonds improve well-being, reduce preventable deaths, boost education and economic resilience, and ease the social and financial burden of disconnection.
Potential Causal Pathways Among Social Determinants of Health: A Data-Informed Framework
Understanding social determinants of health (SDOH) as a complex system is necessary for designing effective public health interventions but SDOH variables often contain overlapping information, making it difficult to isolate unique SDOH constructs. The authors of this analysis found that economic stability was a central determinant influencing education, employment, housing, and healthcare access. They also found that education, access to care, and access to technology mediated many pathways. Findings highlight the interconnected nature of SDOH, emphasizing financial stability as a foundational determinant. The role of digital equity in health outcomes is increasingly significant. The data-driven approach may serve as an important tool to support researchers in future mapping of SDOH causal structures.
Youth Achievement Report
Data You Can Use, a Milwaukee organization, is highlighting the progress and accomplishments of children of color. In 2023 they released the Black Youth Achievement report celebrating the resilience of Black youth in Milwaukee instead of focusing on the continued challenges they face. Data was collected from state and national sources and shared with partners through small, focused conversations called “data chats”. Data chats provide an opportunity for those most affected and closest to the data to discuss how the data reflects their unique experiences and to consider possible solutions for issues. Now they have released a new report, available in English and Spanish, on the bright spots for Latine youth in Milwaukee, which continues the exploration of the strengths and achievements of Milwaukee’s kids of color.
OCMH Research and Data Resources
Key Facts in Youth Mental Health: https://children.wi.gov/Pages/ResearchData/KeyFacts.aspx
Fact Sheets: https://children.wi.gov/Pages/ResearchData/FactSheets.aspx
Data Sources: https://children.wi.gov/Pages/Resources/DataSources.aspx
Research News in Youth Mental Health: https://children.wi.gov/Pages/OCMHNewsletters.aspx
Youth Mental Health Initiatives: https://children.wi.gov/Pages/Resources/ChildrensInitiatives.aspx
Please do not reply directly to this email message. To contact OCMH, email OCMH@wisconsin.gov
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