More than a third of Vermont high school students and one-fifth of middle school students have reported recently experiencing poor mental health, according to a recent survey. LGBTQ+, students of color, and female students were even more likely to be depressed or anxious compared to their heterosexual, cisgender, and male counterparts.
The 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, conducted by the Vermont Department of Health, surveyed more than 17,000 students. The survey highlighted trends surrounding mental health challenges, substance use, and disparities among specific student populations.
Heather Bouchey, deputy secretary of the Agency of Education, acknowledges the state’s lack of preparation when initially evaluating the impact the pandemic would have on students.
“We did not anticipate the extent of the mental health crisis and associated challenges our youth would face,” Bouchey said.
The pandemic-induced measures, such as remote learning and forced isolation, disrupting especially older students’ support systems, Bouchey said.
“We were aware that the inability to spend time with friends would likely impact their isolation, especially for older children and teens. However, we underestimated the magnitude of the mental health crisis,” said Bouchey.
LBGTQ+ and female students report higher rates of poor mental health.
Girls and LGBTQ+ students report significantly higher rates of poor mental health than boys and heterosexual students.
“Girls and young women have often had higher rates of depression and anxiety, more internalizing mental health challenges than boys going back decades and decades,” Bouchey said. “We already have these gaps between girls and boys. And also, we’ve long known that students who identify as LGBTQ+ have a harder go of it in school.”
The director of the Child, Adolescent, and Family Unit at Vermont Department of Mental Health, Laurel Omland, said there might be a few reasons behind these disparities, “Females tend to internalize more,” Omland said. “Girls might actually self-report some things more than males.”
According to the survey data, 49% of girls and 59% of LGBTQ+ students reported experiencing poor mental health “most of the time” or “always,” compared to an overall response rate of 35%.
The survey findings align with national trends, where female students experience higher rates of violence, mental health challenges, suicidal thoughts, and substance use than their male peers. Similarly, LGBTQ+ students face more violence, mental distress, and bullying than their heterosexual counterparts.
Another difference is the access to resources between rural and urban areas, making it harder for rural populations, adults and children, and adolescents to access mental health services.
Rural areas in Vermont face particular difficulties in accessing mental health services. Omland and Bouchey recognize that efforts are needed to address the gap in access to services for rural youth compared to non-rural children.
“If there is indeed a gap, which wouldn’t be surprising, we need to develop a statewide strategy to address it,” Bouchey said. Statewide strategies are being developed to tackle this challenge and ensure that mental health services are available to all students, regardless of their geographic location.
Social media offers refuge and risk
Approximately 30% of high school students and 57% of middle school students in Vermont spend three or more hours on technology daily, unrelated to school activities. One-third of these students identify as LGBTQ+.
Omland says social media is important in creating affirming spaces for students and implementing programs to support their mental health.
“I love seeing the creative ways in which youth come together, expressing themselves and connecting with others. These spaces and youth-led initiatives can be incredibly beneficial,” Omland said.
Omland also said that while social media can provide a platform for connection and support, it can also exacerbate depression and anxiety.
The Surgeon General’s Advisory on Social Media and Youth Mental Health reports that adolescents who spend more than three hours per day on social media face double the risk of experiencing poor mental health outcomes, including depression, anxiety, body dissatisfaction, disordered eating behaviors, social comparison, and low self-esteem.
What are Vermont schools doing?
Omland again emphasized the importance of creating affirming spaces and implementing programs to support students’ mental health.
Bouchey said the state has allocated funds to support mental health initiatives in schools and districts. One of these programs provides grant funding to local education agencies, allowing them to choose improvements that meet schools’ specific needs.
Other funds, the Esser funds, went into paying for a curriculum program called “Equity.” The program provides lessons for pre-K to 12 teachers and really engaging materials again that can be used in everyday activities.
Workforce shortages pose a challenge in providing mental health support to students. Omland said schools are working on recruiting and retaining mental health professionals, including school-based clinicians, behavioral interventionists, and related staff.
More:A grant will pay psychology grad students to work as counselors in K-12 schools in Vermont
The Success Beyond Six program in Vermont allows schools to use Medicaid dollars more flexibly to fund the services that are needed in schools.
“We know that getting a school-based clinician into every school, at least one, is really, really one of the most powerful ways actually to address students’ mental health and wellness. It’s just that sometimes, as I said, the workforce isn’t there. And in some smaller places, this has been a really great opportunity for students who qualify for Medicaid to leverage their resources through Medicaid actually to get them the mental health services they need,” Bouchey said.
In extreme cases, Mental Health Crisis Lines and Suicide Prevention Lifelines are one option. Vermont’s Crisis Text Line™ program offers free, 24/7 support by texting “VT” to 741-741, with trained crisis counselors responding within 5 minutes. Since its launch in November 2016, the program has seen 53% of texters identifying as LGBTQ+ and 55% falling between the ages of 14 and 24.
Contact Free Press staff writer Isabella Infante at iinfante@gannett.com
