INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Simone Biles drew global attention during the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics when she withdrew for mental health reasons.

Biles has made quite the comeback, winning three gold medals and one silver medal at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. This brings her total Olympic medal count to 11. She continuously highlights the importance of focusing on her mental health and cites her “Therapy Thursdays” as part of her solution to winning big on the global stage.

Biles can serve as inspiration for many American teens, as reports show mental health is improving but our girls and LGBTQ+ teens suffer the most. 

How do rates of persistent sadness or hopelessness among our teens compare to 10 years ago? 

According to the CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 40% of more than 20,000 U.S. high school students surveyed from 155 schools across America, report persistent sadness or hopelessness — about 10% more than a decade ago. 

How do the rates differ among teen boys and girls? 

More than 50% of girls surveyed reported persistent sadness or hopelessness vs about 30% of boys. However, there are some thoughts that girls just may be more vocal about their symptoms. 

These numbers are higher than in 2013, with some worsening likely due to familial stress from the global COVID-19 pandemic.  

About half of the teens identifying as LGBTQ+ reported poor mental health in the past month. 

What resources are available? 

• Teens should be screened for anxiety and depression at their annual physicals. 
• Consider individual and family therapy. 
• Depending on the severity of symptoms, medication may be recommended. 
• Spend time in nature
• Encourage regular exercise; consider family activities like walks after dinner. 
• Minimize consumption of ultra-processed foods and encourage eating healthy balanced meals. 
• Teens should aim for eight hours of sleep nightly. 
• Limit social media use and unfollow/restrict negative content. 
• Call 988 for free and confidential help. 

Lastly, parents and caregivers must keep lines of communication open with their teens, regularly and not just when concerns arise.