Want to Close America’s Learning Gaps? First, Strengthen Students’ Relationships

Aaliyah Samuel: Going forward, we should continue discussing academic loss, but we must also talk about the impact of relationship loss.

As I look at the impact of the pandemic on adolescents, two very different sets of data stand out. First, we have seen huge declines in teenagers’ mental health. In October 2021, the American Academy of Pediatrics declared a national emergency in child and adolescent mental health, pointing to soaring rates of depression, anxiety, trauma, loneliness, and suicidal thoughts. In March 2022, the Centers for Disease Control reported that more than 40 percent teenagers are “persistently sad or lonely;” a follow-up report in February 2023 found that number rises to 57% among teenage girls. 

Meanwhile, school violence and behavior issues are up. In addition, an estimated 22% of students have been chronically absent (missing more than 10% of school) since the pandemic, while one to two million students have not returned to school at all, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Not surprisingly, the situation is worse for students who have been historically marginalized and underserved.