US teen girls experiencing record-high levels of sadness: CDC

Los Angeles, Feb 14

US teenage girls are experiencing record-high levels of feelings of sadness and acts of violence, according to new federal data released.

About 57 per cent of girls reported feeling persistently sad or hopeless in 2021, up from 36 per cent in 2011 and the highest levels seen in the past decade, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the report published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

By comparison, US teen boys saw an increase from 21 per cent in 2011 to 29 per cent in 2021.

The CDC report included an analysis of data and trends from the annual Youth Risk Behavior Survey, which looks at the health and behaviours of US high school students.

"America's teen girls are engulfed in a growing wave of sadness, violence and trauma," said Debra Houry, the CDC's chief medical officer and deputy director for program and science.

"Over the past decade, teens especially girls have experienced dramatic increases in experiences of violence and poor mental health and suicide risk," she said.