The following collection of resources focuses on data surrounding student mental health and mental health in schools since the start of the pandemic. The collection is not exhaustive and will continue to be updated. If you have published or know of any resources that you believe should be included, send them to kleinz@learningfirst.org.

“Emergency Department Visits for Suspected Suicide Attempts Aong Persons Aged 12-25 Years Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic – United States, January 2019-May 2021”, CDC, June 18, 2021

• Details the increased proportion of mental-health-related emergency department visits among adolescents from 2019 to 2020
• Details the increase in emergency department visits for suspected suicide attempts by gender

“Mental Health–Related Emergency Department Visits Among Children Aged <18 Years During the COVID-19 Pandemic — United States, January 1–October 17, 2020”, CDC, November 2020

• Data on the proportion of children’s mental health-related department room visits among all pediatric emergency department visits 

“Medicaid & CHIP and the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency”, Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Services through October 31, 2022

• Includes preliminary 2020 data showing that mental health services for children under age 19 declined starting in March and continued to be substantially below prior years’ levels through October (slide 23)

“4 Trends in Pediatric Hospital Utilization”, Children’s Hospital Association, October 2022

• Data on the admissions into Children’s Hospitals with a primary mental health diagnosis

“Behavioral Health”, Children’s Hospital Association

• Data on the child and adolescent mental health crisis

“The Pandemic’s Lasting Effects on Kids”, Children’s Hospital Association, July 2022

• Data and discussion on now how the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the behavioral and mental health crisis among kids

“Mental Health and Substance Use Considerations Among Children During the COVID-19 Pandemic”, Kaiser Family Foundation, May 2021

• Data on parents’ reports of their children’s mental health from May to October 2020
• Explores factors contributing to poor mental health and substance use among children during the pandemic

“COVID Harmed Kids’ Mental Health – And Schools Are Feeling It”, Pew Charitable Trusts, November 2021

• Highlights CDC data on emergency department visits for suicide attempts among adolescents in 2020 compared to 2019
• Details the pandemic-related decline in child and adolescent mental health 
• Details new investments being made into addressing mental health in schools and where investments should be made

“Kids are back in school – and struggling with mental health issues”, NPR, January 2022

• Discusses the growing crisis in youth mental health that COVID-19 exacerbated
• Details data on mental health visits to emergency departments in children’s hospitals

National PTA Healthy Minds Resource Page

• Includes resources and tools for PTA leaders and families to learn more about how to have and promote healthy minds
  • Many resources in Spanish