On Monday, February 13, 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States released a report on the mental health of U.S. teens. It noted that over 40 percent of high school students experienced persistent sadness and hopelessness.

 “Although we have seen worsening trends in mental health for young people over the last 10 years,” stated Dr. Kathleen Ethier, director of CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH), “the levels of poor mental health and suicidal thoughts and behaviors reported by teenage girls are now higher than we have ever seen.”

 The report noted:

•   More than 1 in 10 teen girls (14 percent) have been forced to have sex when they did not want to. “This is truly alarming” stated Dr. Ethier. “For every 10 teenage girls you know, at least one of them, and probably more, has been raped.”

•   Nearly 1 in 3 teen girls (30 percent) seriously considered attempting suicide.

•   Nearly 3 in 5 teen girls (57 percent) felt persistently sad or hopeless.

 These statistics are truly heartbreaking. Youth should be a time of joy and happiness. What can help teens cope with the stress that they face today? What does the Bible say?

The Bible offers teens practical help

 The Bible realistically describes the stressful times we are living in today. It calls them “critical times hard to deal with.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5) However, the Bible offers timeless advice that is helping millions of teens worldwide to successfully cope despite the challenges they face. Consider the following Bible-based articles.

•   What if I Don’t Want to Live Anymore?

•   I Want to Die—Can the Bible Help Me When I Have Suicidal Thoughts?

•   Why Go On?

•   How Can I Deal With Depression?

•   How Can I Avoid Negative Thinking?

•   How Can I Deal With Anxiety?

•   How Can I Control My Emotions?

•   From Sad to Glad (whiteboard animation)

•   What if I’m Being Bullied?

•   What if I’m Being Cyberbullied?

•   Beat a Bully Without Using Your Fists (whiteboard animation)

•   What Should I Know About Sexual Assault?

•   What Should I Know About Sexual Assault?—Part 1: Precautions

•   What Should I Know About Sexual Assault?—Part 2: Recovery

The Bible offers practical advice for parents

 The Bible also offers practical advice to assist parents so that they can help their teens cope with life’s challenges. Consider the following Bible-based articles.

•   Teen Depression—Why? What Can Help?

•   When Your Teenage Daughter Is Stressed Out

•   What if My Child Is Being Bullied?

•   When Your Teenager Self-Injures

•   Children and Social Media—Part 1: Should My Child Use Social Media?

•   Children and Social Media—Part 2: Teaching Your Teenager Social Media Safety

•   Children and Smartphones—Part 1: Should My Child Have a Smartphone?

•   Children and Smartphones—Part 2: Teaching Children Smartphone Sense

•   How to Talk to Your Teen About Sexting