ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of the principal causes and contributing factors to the rise of child and adolescent mental illness. Starting in approximately 2012, there has been a significant increase in young people who are experiencing depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts. Contributors to mental health problems include the negative impact of smartphones and social media, cyberbullying, school shootings and active shooter drills, and social isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Younger teenage girls, LGBTQ+, and transgender youth are especially vulnerable populations. This chapter details why these factors are so harmful to young people, laying the foundation for the strategies and interventions discussed throughout the book.
