Adolescent mental health crisis

Rates of depression, anxiety, and self-harm among adolescents have risen sharply since 2010, with proposed contributing factors including social media use, reduced sleep, academic pressure, and pandemic-related disruption. Causal mechanisms linking screen time and social media to adolescent psychopathology remain contested. School-based interventions and early identification programs show variable effectiveness across settings. Understanding the interaction between digital environments, developmental neuroscience of the adolescent brain, and protective resilience factors is critical for designing effective prevention strategies.