A survey conducted by the Centers for Disease found an unsettling truth regarding teen mental health throughout the pandemic.

The survey looked at a group of 7,705 high school students nationwide and asked them a series of questions regarding their mental health. Analysis showed that around 33% of high school students endured substandard mental health consistently throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors clarified that the frequency of substandard mental health and suicide contemplation was more common among female students, as well as lesbian, bisexual, and gay youth.

The CDC also said that over a third of all high school students said they had been enduring unfair treatment due to their ethnicity or race. Black, Asian, and multiracial students had the highest levels of experiencing racism.

“Students who reported racism were also more likely to experience poor mental health and less likely to feel connected to people at school,” the agency said.

The survey also found that around one in three high school students claimed to have used alcohol, tobacco, or prescription opioids in the first half of last year. About 30% said that had used these substances more frequently during the pandemic, compared to before.

"This data and others like it show us that young people and their families have been under incredible levels of stress during the pandemic," CDC's division of adolescent and school health director Kathleen Ethier said, as reported by CNN. "Youth are in crisis."

A study published earlier this year in the medical journal BMJ found that those who recovered from COVID-19 have an increased risk of developing mental health disorders.

“The findings suggest that people who survive the acute phase of COVID-19 are at increased risk of an array of incident mental health disorders,” the authors of the study said. “Tackling mental health disorders among survivors of COVID-19 should be a priority.”

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