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1. Can cooking and gardening at school help better healthy eating habits

2. How Physical Activity can promote learning & wellbeing in schools

3. Preventing Tobacco use at younger ages

4. School shooting trauma

5. Children's stress and mental health struggles in school

6. Personal mental health days in schools to better wellness of students

7. Wildfires and loss of lives in Hawaii

8. Preventing drug abuse at young ages

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This article about How to Protect Kids from Tobacco Product use and exposure on Healthy Children.org examines Preventing Tobacco use to students. Tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of disease and death for U.S. adults—and 90% of tobacco users began using the substance before age 18, when the body and brain are especially vulnerable to addiction. It is scary to think that the indirect harms of tobacco or nicotine use and tobacco smoke exposure are well-documented that require urgent action to protect children, who can be harmed by exposure even before birth. One of the most healthy things a child can do to prepare for their future life is to not get involved in using either nicotine or tobacco products. Since the students will be getting older and into older grades they could be affected by peer pressure so talking about this topic through elementary school ages could truly help prevent them from trying it. Teachers could do this through having a doctor come in as a guest speaker and talk about why it can be so harming to our bodies. Even showing them different videos or presentations about it as visual representations could really put into their heads how bad it is for our health. It is essential for teachers to take this topic seriously and implement something into their classroom about it at some point throughout the year. The more we can put into early intervention to prevent use of these products to our students the better off they will be in their future lives.

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​​​Tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of disease and death for U.S. adults-and 90% of tobacco users began using the substance before age 18, when the body and brain are especially vulnerable to addiction.

The direct and indirect harms of tobacco and nicotine use and tobacco smoke exposure are well-documented and require urgent action to protect children, who can be harmed by exposure even before birth.

That is the message of the American Academy of Pediatrics within a new policy statement, " Protecting Children and Adolescents From Tobacco and Nicotine ​." Policy statements created by AAP are written by medical experts, reflect the latest evidence in the field, and go through several rounds of peer review before being approved by the AAP Board of Directors and published in Pediatrics.

The tobacco policy statement, accompanied by a clinical and a technical report​, marks the first update in recommendations since 2015. The articles will be published in the May 2023 Pediatrics.

"More than 16% of high school students report current use of a tobacco product, such as e-cigarettes, cigars or cigarettes-and many use more than one kind," said Brian P. Jenssen, MD, FAAP, lead author of the statement, written by the Section on Nicotine and Tobacco Prevention and Treatment and Committee on Substance Use Prevention.

"There are multiple evidence-based clinical and policy approaches that pediatricians and pediatric clinicians can take to protect children, adolescents, and their families from the harms of tobacco and nicotine. Pediatricians are uniquely positioned to help them live tobacco-free lives."

Start tobacco prevention messaging early

Tobacco prevention messaging should start no later than 11 or 12 years of age, as approximately 3% to 7% of middle school students report current tobacco or nicotine product use, according to research cited. Messages that focus on how the tobacco industry deceives and tries to manipulate youth have been shown to resonate more with children and adolescents.

Prenatal exposure to tobacco has been shown to affect lung development and increases risks and severity of respiratory illness, with effects that may have consequences that last beyond childhood, according to research. Almost 40% of children ages 3-11 are regularly exposed to secondhand tobacco smoke, as well. Rates of secondhand exposure to e-cigarette aerosol have increased over the last decade.

"One of the most important things a child can do to prepare for a healthy life is not use nicotine or tobacco," said Susan Walley, MD, MHCM, FAAP, co-author of the reports. "Children from communities that have historically experienced high levels of discrimination and stigma are disproportionately affected by tobacco and nicotine use and tobacco smoke exposure. There are actionable steps pediatricians, parents, and communities can take to break this cycle and protect children and families."

The AAP calls for heightened prevention efforts, early intervention and federal regulations to reduce tobacco use and nicotine exposure in children and adolescents.

AAP public policy recommendations include:

The FDA should regulate all tobacco and nicotine products to protect public health.

Tobacco use prevention, screening, and treatment should be adequately funded and specifically designated for pediatric populations. Tobacco control research should be considered a high priority and funded accordingly from both government and private sources.

Tobacco and nicotine product prices should be increased to reduce child and adolescent tobacco use initiation.

Enforce the tobacco product sales age of 21 years.

All flavor ingredients, including menthol, should be prohibited in all tobacco and nicotine products.

All tobacco and nicotine product advertising and promotion in forms that are accessible to children and adolescents should be prohibited.

Depictions of tobacco and nicotine products in movies and other media, such as content through streaming platforms that can be viewed by children and adolescents, should be restricted.

Tobacco industry-sponsored mass-media and school-based tobacco control programs should be prohibited.

For pediatricians and clinicians, AAP recommends:

Screen all adolescents for tobacco and nicotine use as part of health supervision visits.

Include tobacco and nicotine use prevention as part of anticipatory guidance for children and adolescents.

Refer youth who want to quit using nicotine and tobacco to behavioral interventions. Given the safety profile of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and the well-known consequences of untreated tobacco use, it is also reasonable to recommend and prescribe NRT to adolescents with moderate or severe tobacco use disorder.

Inquire about parents' use of nicotine and tobacco. When parents quit tobacco use, they eliminate the majority of their children's secondhand smoke exposure and decrease the risk of smoking initiation among their children.

Implement systems to identify, counsel, treat, and refer caregivers who smoke or use other tobacco products. Pediatricians can also recommend and prescribe FDA approved medications, including NRT, as part of a treatment plan for parental tobacco cessation.

A technical report details the evidence base for each recommendation. One strong and consistent finding is that children and adolescents who use e-cigarettes are significantly more likely to go on to use traditional cigarettes.

"Though the promotion of evidence-based clinical and policy strategies, pediatricians, pediatric clinicians, and the AAP have pushed back against tobacco companies to help children, adolescents, and their families live tobacco-free lives," Dr. Jenssen said. "Continued clinical and policy advocacy can help prevent new addiction, end the tobacco epidemic, and promote a nicotine and tobacco-free future."

More information

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tobacco use; aap policy; nicotine; children; teens; tobacco products; smoke; exposure; e-cigarettes; vaping; vape; smoking

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How to Protect Kids From Tobacco Product Use and Exposure

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​The American Academy of Pediatrics discusses the harms of tobacco use by teens in a new policy statement, "Protecting Children and Adolescents From Tobacco and Nicotine​."

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This article about Dozens dead from the Maui Wildfires on ABC News examines students, family and friends Grief or Loss. Devastating wildfires that erupted on the Hawaiian island of Maui on Aug. 8 have claimed the lives of at least 97 people while dozens more remain missing, according to authorities. They spread hour by hour across the island and the struggle of residents to survive was heartbreaking. It was one of the hardest things that the island has ever gone through. This article talked about a man named Franklin Trejos, 68, who died in the historic town of Lahaina on Aug. 8 after a wildfire broke out, his friend Shannon Weber-Bogar confirmed to ABC News. He was a big animal lover and nature free spirit adventurer. Talking about a global topic like this in school is important for students to see and learn about different tragic events that are happening around them. Students don't always watch the news or know what is even happening around our town so being able to educate them on something like this in our morning meetings could really open up their eyes to things. Dealing with grief of loved ones or a loss of even a pet can be so hard for students to go through at their age. Especially because everyone deals with this topic differently. Having open conversations in class with your students about this could be very beneficial for students to let out some emotions or how they are feeling that day. It lets everyone feel loved and safe knowing that they have a safe classroom environment to open up to about something that might be going on outside of school.

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One of the victims was found shielding a pet dog.

Devastating wildfires that erupted on the Hawaiian island of Maui on Aug. 8 have claimed the lives of at least 97 people while dozens more remain missing, according to authorities.

The death toll was revised from 115 to 97, authorities said on Sept. 15.

Here's what we know about some of the victims.

Franklin Trejos, 68

Franklin Trejos, 68, died in the historic town of Lahaina on Aug. 8 after a wildfire broke out, his friend Shannon Weber-Bogar confirmed to ABC News.

Trejos, who was originally from Costa Rica, had been living for several years with Weber-Bogar and her husband, Geoff Bogar, at their home on Maui. When the inferno began in Lahaina, Trejos and Bogar stayed behind to try to save the house and help their neighbors, Weber-Bogar said.

Eventually, Trejos and Bogar tried to escape in separate cars. Bogar's car wouldn't start, so he broke a window to get out and was later rescued by police and taken to a local hospital. The next day, Bogar returned to find Trejos' remains inside another car on top of their beloved dog, a 3-year-old golden retriever named Sam, according to Weber-Bogar.

Trejos' niece Kika Pérez Grant told ABC News that her uncle, whom she called "Frankie," was a "huge animal lover" and would always think of others before thinking of himself.

"And so even in his very last moments, he thought to protect," Pérez Grant said.

"He was just a loving man. He was a free spirit, he was an adventurer, a nature lover, an animal lover, an artist," she added. "He was just a great person to be around. Energetic, he had so much gusto."

Pérez Grant also recalled her uncle's great smile and love for chocolate milk.

"He was such a wonderful human," she said. "The best uncle, brother and friend."

Trejos was very close to his older sister, Pérez Grant's mother, who has been living with stage 4 breast cancer. He always worried about her and "checked in on her quite often," according to Pérez Grant.

"She never imagined losing her brother," Pérez Grant said of her mother. "She always thought she would pass first."

Trejos would have turned 69 in September.

"This has been a tragic and heartbreaking loss for our family," Pérez Grant told ABC News "To know that he must have been so scared or to imagine him suffering, there are no words."

Carole Hartley, 60

Carole Hartley, 60, died in Lahaina on Aug. 8 after a wildfire broke out, her sister Donna Hartley confirmed to ABC News.

Carole's body was found by her longtime partner Charles on their property there. The couple were separated as they tried to flee the flames, Donna said.

Charles told Donna that he and Carole were about to get in their truck when it exploded in front of them. He said he told Carole to "run" and he thought she was in front of him running but he never saw her again, according to Donna.

Charles survived but suffered third-degree burns. He returned to their property on Aug. 12 to find human remains alongside Carole's watch and dental bridge, Donna said.

"It has to be her remains," Donna told ABC News. "Nobody else has been at our house."

Donna, who lives in Alabama, said she has struggled to sleep ever since and has been having nightmares.

"I have dreams my sister is on fire," she added.

Donna described her sister as a "beautiful" person. Carole would have turned 61 later in August.

"She had a heart of gold and she cared about other people more than herself," Donna said. "She was always that way."

Joe Schilling, 67

Maui County and the Maui Police Department confirmed that 67-year-old Lahaina resident Joseph Schilling was among those killed in the wildfire.

Based on accounts from those who interacted with Schilling on Aug. 8 as well as text messages he sent to a friend that afternoon, Schilling's loved ones believe he chose to stay behind at his apartment complex, Hale Mahaolu Eono, with several elderly residents who were unable to evacuate due to mobility issues.

In texts to his friend Corie Bluh, reviewed by ABC News, Schilling said there were "multiple houses on fire right across from me" and that he "can't leave can't see."

"We are trapped can't see a thing plus when u try to breath it burns ur lungs," he wrote.

"Breathing through wet towels," he added. "6 of us in one unit."

Schilling also sent photos to Bluh showing a nearby home on fire with thick smoke billowing into the air. In his last text message, Schilling warned: "Cars parked on the road now exploding."

Schilling had lived on Maui for the last 25 years and became known as "Uncle Joe." He met Bluh through her late husband at work years ago. When Bluh's husband, who she said suffered bouts of mental illness, took to the sidelines of parenting, Schilling stepped in to mentor and help raise their five children.

"We were not the only people that knew him as Uncle Joe," Bluh told ABC News. "His name tag at work was Uncle Joe because he was just that guy that was there for everybody."

Schilling's pronounced role with the Bluh family and the larger community in Maui came as no surprise to his younger brother, Dan Schilling.

"His life, I would describe it with two words: It was selfless and without convention," Dan Schilling told ABC News.

"What Joe did allowed these people not to die alone," he added. "That's the great gesture he did that he sacrificed himself for."

Buddy Jantoc, 79

Maui County and the Maui Police Department confirmed that 79-year-old Lahaina resident Buddy Jantoc was among those killed in the wildfire.

Jantoc was originally from Honolulu and had lived in Lahaina for 30 years, his granddaughter, Keshia Alakai, told ABC News.

He most recently lived at Hale Mahaolu Eono, a senior housing complex, but was very independent and still able to drive, she said.

To Jantoc, "his family and his music was everything," Alakai said.

Jantoc is survived by two sons as well as many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, according to Alakai.

"We were all close with him, we all had a special bond with him," she said.

"My Papa usually calls me for any little thing, you know? Just if it was raining a lot, or whatever, he would let me know. So not hearing from him for a couple of days, I already knew something was wrong," she said.

"I knew my Papa was older, but for him to be taken from us that way, I think that's what's the hardest to come to terms with," Alakai said.

She said she'll miss "his calls for the silly stuff," like birthday wishes and helping him place orders online.

"Just little simple stuff that we'll never get again."

Robert Dyckman, 74

Maui County and the Maui Police Department confirmed that 74-year-old Lahaina resident Robert Dyckman was among those killed in the wildfire.

Melva Benjamin, 71

Maui County and the Maui Police Department confirmed that 71-year-old Lahaina resident Melva Benjamin was among those killed in the wildfire.

Benjamin's son-in-law, David Makua, told ABC News that their family "have other people still missing."

"All I know is just -- I love my mom. That's all," Makua said. "We're still waiting to hear about other family. So it's -- we're not over yet."

Virginia Dofa, 90

Maui County and the Maui Police Department confirmed that 90-year-old Lahaina resident Virginia Dofa was among those killed in the wildfire.

Alfredo Galinato, 79

Maui County and the Maui Police Department confirmed that 79-year-old Lahaina resident Alfredo Galinato was among those killed in the wildfire.

Donna Gomes, 71

Maui County and the Maui Police Department confirmed that 71-year-old Lahaina resident Donna Gomes was among those killed in the wildfire.

Angelita Vasquez, 88

Maui County and the Maui Police Department confirmed that 88-year-old Lahaina resident Angelita Vasquez was among those killed in the wildfire.

Conchita Sagudang, 75

Maui County and the Maui Police Department confirmed that 75-year-old Lahaina resident Conchita Sagudang was among those killed in the wildfire.

Danilo Sagudang, 55

Maui County and the Maui Police Department confirmed that 55-year-old Lahaina resident Danilo Sagudang was among those killed in the wildfire.

Rodolfo Rocutan, 76

Maui County and the Maui Police Department confirmed that 76-year-old Lahaina resident Rodolfo Rocutan was among those killed in the wildfire.

When the fire broke out, Rocutan left his truck at his sister's house and tried to escape on foot, according to his grandson, Ian Rocutan.

Rodolfo Rocutan, who was from the Philippines, moved to California in 2007 and then to Hawaii about two years later. He was looking for a better life for his family and would send money back to the Philippines, his grandson told ABC News.

Ian Rocutan said his grandfather represented "dungngo," or unconditional love.

The last time they spoke, he said his grandfather reminded him of the advice he gave him as a child: "To always do good, be great at school and take care of our family."

"He reminded me how proud he is of me and how he's anticipating of who I'll become," Ian Rocutan told ABC News.

Jonathan Somaoang, 76

Maui County and the Maui Police Department confirmed that 76-year-old Lahaina resident Jonathan Somaoang was among those killed in the wildfire.

Douglas Gloege, 59

Maui County and the Maui Police Department confirmed that 59-year-old Lahaina resident Douglas Gloege was among those killed in the wildfire.

Juan Deleon, 45

Maui County and the Maui Police Department confirmed that 45-year-old Lahaina resident Juan Deleon was among those killed in the wildfire.

Clyde Wakida, 74

Maui County and the Maui Police Department confirmed that 74-year-old Lahaina resident Clyde Wakida was among those killed in the wildfire.

Todd Yamafuji, 68

Maui County and the Maui Police Department confirmed that 68-year-old Lahaina resident Todd Yamafuji was among those killed in the wildfire.

Antonia Molina, 64

Maui County and the Maui Police Department confirmed that 64-year-old Lahaina resident Antonia Molina was among those killed in the wildfire.

Freeman Tam Lung, 80

Maui County and the Maui Police Department confirmed that 80-year-old Lahaina resident Freeman Tam Lung was among those killed in the wildfire.

Theresa Cook, 72

Maui County and the Maui Police Department confirmed that 72-year-old California resident Theresa Cook was among those killed in the wildfires on Maui.

Narciso Baylosis Jr., 67

Maui County and the Maui Police Department confirmed that 67-year-old Lahaina resident Narciso Baylosis Jr. was among those killed in the wildfire.

Vanessa Baylosis, 67

Maui County and the Maui Police Department confirmed that 67-year-old Lahaina resident Vanessa Baylosis was among those killed in the wildfire.

Tau Ponali, 66

Maui County and the Maui Police Department confirmed that 66-year-old Lahaina resident Tau Ponali was among those killed.

Valerie Kauffman, 78

Maui County officials confirmed that 78-year-old Lahaina resident Valerie Kauffman was among those killed.

Salvador Coloma, 77

Maui County officials confirmed that 77-year-old Lahaina resident Salvador Coloma was among those killed.

Carlo Tobias, 54

Maui County officials confirmed that 54-year-old Lahaina resident Carlo Tobias was among those killed.

Albert Kitaguchi, 62

Albert Kitaguchi, 62, of Lahaina, was among those killed, according to Maui County officials.

Lynn Manibog, 74

Lahaina resident Lynn Manibog, 74, has been identified as a victim of the fires, according to Maui County officials.

Todd Nakamura, 61

Maui County and the Maui Police Department confirmed that 61-year-old Lahaina resident Todd Nakamura was among those killed in the wildfire.

Bernard Portabes, 75

Maui County and the Maui Police Department confirmed that 75-year-old Lahaina resident Bernard Portabes was among those killed in the wildfire.

Tony Takafua, 7

Maui County and the Maui Police Department confirmed that 7-year-old Lahaina resident Tony Takafua was among those killed in the wildfire.

Takafua is the youngest known victim to date.

Salote Tone, 39

Maui County and the Maui Police Department confirmed that 39-year-old Lahaina resident Salote Tone was among those killed in the wildfire.

Faaoso Tone, 70

Maui County and the Maui Police Department confirmed that 70-year-old Lahaina resident Faaoso Tone was among those killed in the wildfire.

Maluifonua Tone, 73

Maui County and the Maui Police Department confirmed that 73-year-old Lahaina resident Maluifonua Tone was among those killed in the wildfire.

Bette Jo Dyckman, 73

Maui County and the Maui Police Department confirmed that 73-year-old Lahaina resident Bette Jo Dyckman was among those killed in the wildfire.

Rebecca Rans, 57

Maui County and the Maui Police Department confirmed that 57-year-old Lahaina resident Rebecca Rans was among those killed in the wildfire.

David Nuesca Jr., 59

Maui County and the Maui Police Department confirmed that 59-year-old Lahaina resident David Nuesca Jr. was among those killed in the wildfire.

Poomaikai Losano, 28

Maui County and the Maui Police Department confirmed that 28-year-old Lahaina resident Poomaikai Losano was among those killed in the wildfire.

Carolyn Ono, 73

Maui County and the Maui Police Department confirmed that 73-year-old Lahaina resident Carolyn Ono was among those killed in the wildfire.

Eugene Recolizado, 50

Maui County and the Maui Police Department confirmed that 50-year-old Lahaina resident Eugene Recolizado was among those killed in the wildfire.

Mark Kaminsky, 59

Maui County and the Maui Police Department confirmed that 59-year-old Lahaina resident Mark Kaminsky was among those killed in the wildfire.

Tim Nakamoto, 69

Maui County and the Maui Police Department confirmed that 69-year-old Lahaina resident Tim Nakamoto was among those killed in the wildfire.

Nicholas Turbin III, 71

Maui County and the Maui Police Department confirmed that 71-year-old Lahaina resident Nicholas Turbin III was among those killed in the wildfire.

Anthony "Tony" Simpson, 43

Maui County and the Maui Police Department confirmed that 43-year-old Lahaina resident Anthony "Tony" Simpson was among those killed in the wildfire.

Glenda Yabes, 48

Maui County and the Maui Police Department confirmed that 48-year-old Lahaina resident Glenda Yabes was among those killed in the wildfire.

John "Thumper" McCarthy, 74

Maui County and the Maui Police Department confirmed that 74-year-old Lahaina resident John "Thumper" McCarthy was among those killed in the wildfire.

Keyiro Fuentes, 14

Maui County and the Maui Police Department confirmed that 14-year-old Lahaina resident Keyiro Fuentes was among those killed in the wildfire.

Fuentes is one of the youngest known victims to date.

Maurice Buen, 79

Maui County and the Maui Police Department confirmed that 79-year-old Lahaina resident Maurice Buen was among those killed in the wildfire.
ABC News' Peter Charalambous, Marilyn Heck, Ahmad Hemingway, Christopher Looft, Amanda M. Morris, Sasha Pezenik, Alyssa Pone, Stephanie Wash and Jennifer Watts contributed to this report.

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Dozens dead from Maui wildfires: What we know about the victims

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Here's what we know about those who have been killed by the wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui.

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The article about Kids Mental Health is in Crisis on American Psychological Foundation examines Mental and Emotional health our students may go through. It is crucial that we recognize students' mental and emotional health through our schools. Academics is always important and all but if the mental health of our students is not there then it can contribute to a lot of stress or anxiety to these young children. Social media being a big factor too those developmental changes drive young people to seek attention and approval from peers. Causing negative messages and bullying to arise. Psychologists are also building training programs to help teachers and other school staff create supportive classrooms and aid students who are in distress. Teachers need to be able to implement this into the classroom to help students daily on this topic. It is one of the most important things that we need to teach our students and protect them from getting to that point. Bullying is not okay, period online or in school. Making sure that there are consequences in place that if this does happen is also important. Students should never have to go through something like this alone. There are so many people that are here for them to talk to or go through if they are experiencing these things. All school districts should have a bullying prevention program so making sure that we follow that and use it constantly is key.

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Research is focused on child and teen mental health, exploring why they are struggling and what can be done to help them

Cite this

Abrams, Z. (2023, January 1). Kids' mental health is in crisis. Here's what psychologists are doing to help. Monitor on Psychology, 54(1). https://www.apa.org/monitor/2023/01/trends-improving-youth-mental-health

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The Covid-19 pandemic era ushered in a new set of challenges for youth in the United States, leading to a mental health crisis as declared by the United States surgeon general just over a year ago. But U.S. children and teens have been suffering for far longer.

In the 10 years leading up to the pandemic, feelings of persistent sadness and hopelessness-as well as suicidal thoughts and behaviors-increased by about 40% among young people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System.

"We're seeing really high rates of suicide and depression, and this has been going on for a while," said psychologist Kimberly Hoagwood, PhD, a professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at New York University's Grossman School of Medicine. "It certainly got worse during the pandemic."

In addition to the social isolation and academic disruption nearly all children and teens faced, many also lost caregivers to Covid-19, had a parent lose their job, or were victims of physical or emotional abuse at home.

All these difficulties, on top of growing concerns about social media, mass violence, natural disasters, climate change, and political polarization-not to mention the normal ups and downs of childhood and adolescence-can feel insurmountable for those who work with kids.

"The idea of a 'mental health crisis' is really broad. For providers and parents, the term can be anxiety-provoking," said Melissa Brymer, PhD, who directs terrorism and disaster programs at the UCLA-Duke University National Center for Child Traumatic Stress. "Part of our role is to highlight specific areas that are critical in this discussion."

Across the field, psychologists are doing just that. In addition to studying the biological, social, and structural contributors to the current situation, they are developing and disseminating solutions to families, in schools, and at the state level. They're exploring ways to improve clinical training and capacity and working to restructure policies to support the most vulnerable children and teens.

Psychologists were also behind new mental health recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a group of volunteer health professionals who evaluate evidence on various preventive health services. The task force now recommends regular anxiety screenings for youth ages 8 to 18 and regular depression screenings for adolescents ages 12 to 18.

"I see these trends in children's mental health problems as being critical, but there are solutions," Hoagwood said. "If we refocus our efforts toward those solutions, we could see some of these tides turn."

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Sources of stress

Across the United States, more than 200,000 children lost a parent or primary caregiver to Covid-19 ("Covid-19 Orphanhood," Imperial College London, 2022). In the face of those losses, families had to curtail mourning rituals and goodbye traditions because of social distancing requirements and other public health measures, Brymer said. Many children are still grieving, sometimes while facing added challenges such as moving to a different home or transferring to a new school with unfamiliar peers.

The CDC also reports that during the pandemic, 29% of U.S. high school students had a parent or caregiver who lost their job, 55% were emotionally abused by a parent or caregiver, and 11% were physically abused (Adolescent Behaviors and Experiences Survey-United States, January-June 2021, CDC).

"Schools are crucial for keeping kids safe and connecting them with services, but the pandemic completely disrupted those kinds of supports," Brymer said.

Those extreme disruptions didn't affect all young people equally. Echoing pre-Covid-19 trends, the CDC also found that girls, LGBTQ+ youth, and those who have experienced racism were more likely to have poor mental health during the pandemic, said social psychologist Kathleen Ethier, PhD, director of the CDC's Division of Adolescent and School Health.

Contributing factors likely include stigma, discrimination, and online bullying, Ethier said. Female students also report much higher levels of sexual violence than their male peers, which can further harm mental health.

As much hardship as Covid-19 wrought, it's far from the only factor contributing to the current crisis. Biology also appears to play a role. The age of puberty has been dropping for decades, especially in girls, likely leading to difficulty processing complex feelings and knowing what to do about them ( Eckert-Lind, C., et al., JAMA Pediatrics, Vol. 174, No. 4, 2020). In early puberty, regions of the brain linked to emotions and social behavior are developing more quickly than regions responsible for the cognitive control of behavior, such as the prefrontal cortex, Ethier said.

Those developmental changes drive young people to seek attention and approval from their peers. For some, using social media fulfills that need in a healthy way, providing opportunities for connection and validation to youth who may be isolated from peers, geographically or otherwise.

For others, negative messages-including online bullying and unrealistic standards around physical appearance-appear to have a detrimental effect, but more research is needed to understand who is most at risk.

"There is clearly some aspect of young people's online life that's contributing [to the mental health crisis], we just don't know exactly what that is," said Ethier.

Finally, structural factors that affect millions of U.S. children, including poverty, food insecurity, homelessness, and lack of access to health care and educational opportunities, can lead to stress-response patterns that are known to underlie mental health challenges.

"Even in very young children, prolonged stress can trigger a cycle of emotion-regulation problems, which can in turn lead to anxiety, depression, and behavioral difficulties," Hoagwood said. "These things are well established, but we're not doing enough as a field to address them."

Building capacity in schools

The biggest challenge facing mental health care providers right now, experts say, is a shortage of providers trained to meet the mounting needs of children and adolescents.

"There's a growing recognition that mental health is just as important as physical health in young people's development, but that's happening just as mental health services are under extreme strain," said clinical psychologist Robin Gurwitch, PhD, a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University Medical Center.

Schools, for example, are a key way to reach and help children-but a 2022 Pew Research Center survey found that only about half of U.S. public schools offer mental health assessments and even fewer offer treatment services. Psychologists are now ramping up efforts to better equip schools to support student well-being onsite.

Much of that work involves changing policies at the school or district level to provide more support for all students. For example, school connectedness-the degree to which young people feel that adults and peers at school care about them and are invested in their success-is a key contributor to mental health. Youth who felt connected during middle and high school have fewer problems with substance use, mental health, suicidality, and risky sexual behavior as adults ( Steiner, R. J., et al., Pediatrics, Vol. 144, No. 1, 2019).

Through its What Works in Schools program, the CDC funds school districts to make changes that research shows foster school connectedness. Those include improving classroom management, implementing service-learning programs for students in their communities, bringing mentors from the community into schools, and making schools safer and more supportive for LGBTQ+ students.

Psychologists are also building training programs to help teachers and other school staff create supportive classrooms and aid students who are in distress. Classroom Wise (Well-Being Information and Strategies for Educators), developed by the Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Network and the University of Maryland's National Center for School Mental Health (NCSMH), is a free, flexible online course and resource library that draws on psychological research on social-emotional learning, behavioral regulation, mental health literacy, trauma, and more ( Evidence-Based Components of Classroom Wise (PDF, 205KB), NCSMH, 2021).

"We're using evidence-based practices from child and adolescent mental health but making these strategies readily available for teachers to apply in the classroom," said clinical psychologist Nancy Lever, PhD, codirector of NCSMH, who helped develop Classroom Wise.

The course incorporates the voices of students and educators and teaches actionable strategies such as how to create rules and routines that make classrooms feel safe and how to model emotional self-regulation. The strategies can be used by anyone who interacts with students, from teachers and administrators to school nurses, coaches, and bus drivers.

"What we need is to build capacity through all of the systems that are part of children's lives-in families, in schools, in the education of everybody who interacts with children," said psychologist Ann Masten, PhD, a professor of child development at the University of Minnesota.

Other training efforts focus on the students themselves. Given that preteens and teenagers tend to seek support from their peers before turning to adults, the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) created conversation cards to equip kids with basic skills for talking about suicide. The advice, available in English and Spanish, includes how to ask about suicidal thoughts, how to listen without judgment, and when to seek guidance from an adult ( Talking About Suicide With Friends and Peers, NCTSN, 2021).

While training people across the school population to spot and address mental health concerns can help reduce the strain on mental health professionals, there will always be a subset of students who need more specialized support.

Telehealth, nearly ubiquitous these days, is one of the best ways to do that. In South Carolina, psychologist Regan Stewart, PhD, and her colleagues colaunched the Telehealth Outreach Program at the Medical University of South Carolina in 2015. Today, nearly every school in the state has telehealth equipment (Wi-Fi and tablets or laptops that kids can use at school or take home) and access to providers (psychology and social work graduate students and clinicians trained in trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy). Students who need services, which are free thanks to grant funding or covered by Medicaid, meet one-on-one with their clinician during the school day or after hours (American Psychologist, Vol. 75, No. 8, 2020).

"We learned a lot about the use of technology during the pandemic," Ethier said. "At this point, it's very much a matter of having sufficient resources so more school districts can access those sources of care."

Expanding the workforce

Limited resources are leaving families low on options, with some young people making multiple trips to the emergency room for mental health-related concerns or spending more than six months on a waiting list for mental health support. That points to a need for more trained emergency responders and psychiatric beds, psychologists say, but also for better upstream screening and prevention to reduce the need for intensive care.

"Just as we need more capacity for psychiatric emergencies in kids, we also need an infusion of knowledge and ordinary strategies to support mental health on the positive side," Masten said.

In New York, Hoagwood helped launch the state-funded Evidence Based Treatment Dissemination Center in 2006, which offers free training on evidence-based practices for trauma, behavioral and attention problems, anxiety, depression, and more to all mental health professionals who work with children in state-licensed programs, which include foster care, juvenile justice, and school settings, among others. The center provides training on a core set of tools known as PracticeWise ( Chorpita, B. F., & Daleiden E. L., Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, Vol. 77, No. 3, 2009). It also offers tailored training based on requests from community agency leaders and clinicians who provide services to children and their families.

Hoagwood, in collaboration with a consortium of family advocates, state officials, and researchers, also helped build and test a state-approved training model and credentialing program for family and youth peer advocates. The peer advocate programs help expand the mental health workforce while giving families access to peers who have similar lived experience ( Psychiatric Services, Vol. 71, No. 5, 2020).

Youth peer advocates are young adults who have personal experience with systems such as foster care, juvenile justice, or state psychiatric care. They work within care teams to provide basic education and emotional support to other youth, such as giving advice on what questions to ask a new mental health practitioner and explaining the differences between psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers. Youth peer advocates in New York can now receive college credit for their training in peer specialist work.

"Making community health work into a viable career can also increase diversity among mental health workers and help us address structural racism," Hoagwood said.

Pediatricians are another group that can provide a first line of defense, drawing on their relationships with parents to destigmatize mental health care.

"Pediatricians are in many ways uniquely positioned to help address the mental health crisis in youth," said Janine A. Rethy, MD, MPH, division chief of community pediatrics at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and an associate professor of pediatrics at Georgetown University School of Medicine. "We have the privilege of building long-term relationships with children and their families over many years," with at least 12 well-child checkups in just the first three years of a child's life, followed by annual visits.

During these visits, they can watch for warning signs of social and behavioral problems and screen for maternal depression and other issues in parents, which is now recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (PDF, 660KB). Several new resources provide guidance for integrating mental health care into pediatric practices, including the Behavioral Health Integration Compendium (PDF, 4.1MB) and the Healthy Steps program. But most pediatricians need more education on mental health issues in order to effectively respond, Rethy said-yet another area where psychologists may be able to help. Psychologists can provide direct consultations and training to pediatricians through the Pediatric Mental Health Care Access program.

"The more we can weave mental health knowledge, capacity, and checkpoints into places where parents feel comfortable-like the doctor's office and at school-the better," Masten said. "All professionals who work with young people really need the knowledge that's being generated by psychologists."

11 emerging trends for 2023

Further reading

Science shows how to protect kids' mental health, but it's being ignored
Prinstein, M., & Ethier, K. A., Scientific American, 2022

How pediatricians can help mitigate the mental health crisis
Rethy, J. A., & Chawla, E. M., Contemporary Pediatrics, 2022

Review: Structural racism, children's mental health service systems, and recommendations for policy and practice change
Alvarez, K., et al., Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 2022

Six Things Psychologists are Talking About

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Kids' mental health is in crisis. Here's what psychologists are doing to help

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Research is focused on child and teen mental health, exploring why they are struggling and what can be done to help them

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This article on How Physical activity can promote learning and wellbeing from Science Daily that examines students Physical Activity. Physical Education in school can improve classroom performance by a huge amount, especially in mathematics. Researchers have shown that improved coordination and perceptual-motor skills, required in various team sports through phys Ed. in schools have led to increases in brain-derived neurotrophic factors in our circulation and, thus, improvements in cognitive performance. It is so important that children get time throughout the day for brain breaks or recess, just something fun and different than just stimulating their brains through learning. They need to move their bodies daily not be stuck in chairs through the school day. Teachers need to know how essential physical activities are for children at this young age and being able to spend little parts of the day doing so are critical. Teaching this topic can be so easy through transition periods, going on nature walks at school etc.

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A study led by the University of Eastern Finland suggests that adolescents who engage in active school transport and leisure-time physical activity perform better at secondary school than their inactive peers. Regular leisure-time physical activity, even in moderate doses, was also associated with lower odds of school burnout. The findings were published in the European Journal of Public Health.

The relationship of physical activity with learning and academic achievement is complex. However, prior studies have found that especially school-based physical activity, such as physical education, can improve classroom performance -- particularly in mathematics. Despite this, few studies have examined the association between active school transport and educational outcomes. Regarding physical activity and school wellbeing, most of the previous evidence is focused on university-level students.

In the recently published study of over 34,000 adolescents, researchers observed that active school transport was associated with higher odds of high perceived academic performance and self-reported competency in academic skills. The association was even stronger for leisure-time moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Similar to prior studies, the relationship between leisure-time physical activity and mathematical skills stood out.

"The results regarding active school transport were particularly intriguing as researchers are increasingly interested in the health benefits of travel-related walking and cycling. Being physically active before school could, for example, enhance concentration in classroom, explaining our observations. However, due to the cross-sectional design, our study cannot establish causality," says Juuso Jussila, a Doctoral Researcher at the University of Eastern Finland.

"There were no surprises regarding the strong association between leisure-time physical activity and perceived academic achievement due to support from prospective and intervention studies. Although we do not know all the explanatory mechanisms, improved coordination and perceptual-motor skills, required in various team sports, for example, can at least partially explain these observations. Leisure-time physical activity is also typically more intense than active school transport, leading to increases in brain-derived neurotrophic factor in our circulation and, thus, improvements in cognitive performance."

Leisure-time physical activity was also inversely associated with school burnout. As little as 30 minutes of weekly moderate-to-vigorous activity was associated with 24% lower odds of school burnout. Adolescents who engaged in leisure-time physical activity for 4 to 6 hours a week had 46% lower odds of school burnout compared to their physically inactive peers. Both leisure-time physical activity and active school transport were also positively associated with school enjoyment.

"To the best of my knowledge, this was the first large-scale study to examine the association between physical activity and school burnout among adolescents. Leisure-time physical activity can be an effective way to disconnect from schoolwork and the potential stress related to it. If we can increase the amount leisure-time physical activity among youth, both learning and wellbeing benefits can be significant," Jussila summarises.

The study was conducted in collaboration with the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare and the nationwide School Health Promotion study. Jussila works as a researcher in the Climate Nudge project, which is funded by the Strategic Research Council at the Academy of Finland.

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fitness; sports medicine; children's health; staying healthy; k-12 education; educational psychology; numeracy; intelligence

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Physical activity can promote learning and wellbeing at secondary school

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A study suggests that adolescents who engage in active school transport and leisure-time physical activity perform better at secondary school than their inactive peers. Regular leisure-time physical activity, even in moderate doses, was also associated with lower odds of school burnout.

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This article on More reported substance use among adolescents from the National Institute on Drug Abuse that examines Preventing Drug and Alcohol Abuse. It is crucial for our students to know about how dangerous drugs are and the effect they can have over you. In this article it says around the time of the pandemic in 2020-2021 they have decreased dramatically. The most commonly found use among younger ages are reported use of alcohol, nicotine vaping, and cannabis. Overdose is also a bigger cause of death to younger ages in the past years as well. Teachers need to be able to truly teach this health topic to students because of how bad addiction can get and that there is always help out there for students to make safe decisions. A quote that stood out to me is “It is absolutely crucial to educate young people that pills purchased via social media, given to someone by a friend, or obtained from an unknown source may contain deadly fentanyl.” Preaching to students that you may never know what is inside that pill and how it can take your life that easily by trying it once. Since in elementary school the next step is middle school it is important to go over it before they get into older grades where it could be seen more. Teachers can show the class videos on this topic and different education presentations on why they should always stay away from drugs.

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Most reported substance use among adolescents held steady in 2022 | National Institute on Drug Abuse

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The 2022 Monitoring the Future Survey reports substance use behaviors & related attitudes among adolescents in the U.S.

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This article on The Mass Shooting Traumas Stalk America's children from elementary school to college from CNN that examines students Trauma. School shootings have become more and more common in the world we live in today. This generation of children grow up haunted by the fact and fear of school massacres cannot outgrow trauma they have been faced with. It brings parents involved who are scared to send their children to school everyday anymore. They live in fear of having to send them off to college hoping they won’t get involved in drugs but now they are more worried that the fear of a shooting could evade them. Teachers need to teach this to students and make sure that they are prepared if this were to ever happen. The school district always has plans in place but making sure your students are on the same page is so important as well. It is essential that your students feel welcome and safe in your classroom at all times. Being able to talk and open up to you about things that they are going through. It can be really scary for elementary students to have to go through this or even learning about this topic so having them know that there are services out there if they ever want to talk to counselors or different individuals about it that nobody is alone. Teachers can provide many different ways to instill this into the classroom to not make their students feel as worried about the potentials of this occurring.

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Mass shooting traumas stalk America's children from elementary school to college | CNN Politics

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A generation of kids who grew up haunted by the fear of school massacres can't outgrow their trauma: It's also stalking their carefree college days.

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This article on More Schools are Offering Student Mental Health Days from Education Week that examines Students' Personal Health and Wellness. State Lawmakers in New York are considering a bill to allow mental health days to K-12 students to take mental health days. If it passes they will be joining tons of other states that already allow students to take excused absences to look after their well being in school. Mental health has become more and more important in our schools than it ever has before. It is even a supported idea by psychologists that mental health should be treated like physical health. Teachers can teach this through a lot of different ways in the classroom such as during morning meetings and having classroom discussions on how everyone is feeling. Always making sure to check on your students and how they are doing daily is very important because you may never know what students are going through outside of school. If it is not addressed enough and there are students struggling in your classroom their academics could really take a turn. Teachers can talk about personal experiences and tell the students that it is okay to need a break or a personal day when you are not your full self to learn. Everyone has those days even at younger ages. It is so essential that school districts are doing this because it could really change the dynamic of the classrooms and the teacher-student relationships.

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More Schools Are Offering Student Mental Health Days. Here’s What You Need to Know

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New York might join a dozen other states now permitting students excused absences from classes to look after their mental well-being.

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This article on Can cooking and gardening at school inspire better nutrition from Health News NPR that examines Healthy Eating Habits for children. Weaving food and cooking into the curriculum again is so important for a hands-on experience for students in the classroom. It has been a staple in U.S. schools for decades, so with this decline in nutrition in our schools could really help drive schools back on this path. The statement of the application in the classroom to teaching health through a social studies gardening lesson would be a great way to get our students involved in something they may not have ever tried before. A quote from the article, “teaching nutrition without a kitchen is a bit like swimming lessons without a pool”. If schools truly got back into this idea of integrating cooking and healthy eating habits back into the curriculum it could really make a whole new movement across all schools in the country. It would be a very rewarding process to see students plant a garden and overtime be able to see how it all turned out throughout the school year. Teachers could implement this idea weekly into lessons about social studies and have a day picked out of the week strictly to nutrition or the garden the students have made. It is also very essential teachers know about this because it could become a great classroom community activity for the whole class to work together on.

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Farm to school events are happening all over the country this month aimed at bringing fresh food to students' plates.

And, after a decline in nutrition education in U.S. schools in recent decades, there's new momentum, to weave food and cooking into the curriculum again.

Remember the hands-on cooking in home economics class, which was a staple in U.S. schools for decades?

"I'd love to see it brought back and have the science around healthy eating integrated," says Stacy Dean, deputy under secretary for food, nutrition and consumer services at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Dean told me she was inspired by a visit to Watkins Elementary, in Washington, D.C., where this idea is germinating. Students grow vegetables in their school garden. They also roll up their sleeves in the school's kitchen to participate in a FRESHFARM FoodPrints class, which integrates cooking and nutrition education. On the day we visited, 5th graders sauteed onions and collard greens.

"Who's next," asks instructional coach Regina Green, as kids toss veggies into the sizzling pan and the aroma of fresh ginger and caramelizing onions fills the air. "We grew these in our garden," Jessie Gibson, one of the students, says proudly. Then he measures and pours dry ingredients for a cracker recipe into a bowl.

"I'm whisking," Gibson says as they review a lesson on whole grains. "I've learned whole wheat has more nutrition, because it has the germ and the outer layer," of the wheat kernel he says, as he rolls out the dough with a rolling pin.

Teaching nutrition without a kitchen is a bit like swimming lessons without a pool, so this elementary school is fortunate to have a dedicated cooking classroom. But it also takes a lot of time, staff and resources.

"We really work hard to make it experiential which requires a lot of prep and a lot of clean up," says Jenn Mampara, director of education at FRESHFARM.

"It's completely not feasible for classroom teachers to do this on their own," she says, given all the demands on their time.

Evaluations show participation in FRESHFARM programs is associated with increased preference for fruits and vegetables. And, the CDC points to evidence that nutrition education may help students maintain a healthy weight and can also help students recognize the connection between food and emotional wellbeing. Given the key role diet plays in preventing chronic disease, the agency says it would be ideal to offer more nutrition education.

"What could be better than this, teaching children how to grow food, and prepare it," says Admiral Rachel Levine, a physician, and assistant secretary for health at HHS, who also visited the FRESHFARM program. "It really is fantastic," she says.

A stumbling block to scaling up these types of programs is money. The program relies on grants and receives some federal funding from SNAP Ed, but it's not enough to expand the program to all the schools that could benefit.

At a time when diet-related disease is a leading cause of death, and unhealthy eating habits are entrenched in U.S. culture, it's unrealistic to think that a cooking curriculum could overcome such a sweeping, societal problem. "We know from years of evidence that we need multiple things to come together to support healthy eating, says Angela Odoms-Young, a professor of maternal and child nutrition at Cornell University.

She points to obstacles such as the marketing of unhealthy products as well as affordability and availability of healthy foods. Often times there's easy access to snack foods, such as chips, cookies, and sweetened drinks, which are often less expensive, and children's taste preferences are shaped by the foods that surround them.

"Can you teach people cooking skills? Absolutely," she says, and it's very helpful, but it needs to be part of a more comprehensive strategy.

Despite these challenges, programs like FRESHFARM can help kids expand their palettes by introducing them to new tastes. At first, many kids are turned off by the bitter taste of greens. But through the alchemy of cooking, caramelizing the onions, and blending in fresh ginger, kids can be inspired.

"Our family has tried new things because of the program," says Catie Kelley, whose two children have participated in the FRESHFARM program. "They come home with the recipes," Kelley says. "It's fun because it's things that we don't usually make at home," so it has nudged them to try novel combinations, such as an apple and beet salad. She says the kids take more of an interest at the grocery store to identify foods they've tried in the program.

The 5th graders were eager to try the crackers they'd made hot out of the oven, and the taste won many kids over. "They taste better than Ritz crackers," says Cali Alston. "I'm proud that we made them," says her classmate Aria Woodford.

At a time when the U.S. spends billions of dollars on diet-related disease, an investment in nutrition education makes sense, says the USDA's Stacy Dean.

"Food is so fundamental to life and good health and it is absolutely worthy of some time in the basic curriculum," she says.

The hope is that integrating nutrition and cooking into a school program will give kids the skills and inspiration to eat well, and help put them on a healthy path.
This story was edited by Jane Greenhalgh

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Can cooking and gardening at school inspire better nutrition? Ask these kids

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With diet-related disease on the rise in the U.S., some schools are adding nutrition to the curriculum. Teaching kids to grow and cook fresh produce can influence life-long eating habits.