(Des Moines) A new nationwide study shows high school students’ mental health declined during the pandemic. The 2021 Adolescent Behaviors and Experiences survey says 37 percent of high school students reported poor mental health in 2020, up from 33 percent in 2019. The 2021 youth survey found a similar percentage in Iowa felt the same experience, with almost one in four 11th graders having suicidal thoughts. Around 5 percent of Iowa 11th graders attempted suicide. The studies find isolation, fear, and financial problems contributed to the rise in stress.
