How to help kids lighten their emotional backpacks this school year

The useful part

As students settle into a new school year, they're carrying more than backpacks filled with notebooks and homework. high school students reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. Other surveys point to the prevalence of stress and anxiety among young people.

How it works

• A 2025 Pew Research Center report found that 30% of teens ages 13 to 17 said anxiety and depression were extremely or very common among students at their school, while another 38% said they were somewhat...
• youth ages 10 to 18 found that 45% felt stressed a lot the previous day and 38% reported feeling anxious.
• "Kids are carrying a lot in those emotional backpacks," said Tyanna Snider, a pediatric psychologist at Nationwide Children's Hospital and contributor to the Kids Mental Health Foundation.
• families can play an important role in helping children manage those feelings before stress begins to affect their well-being.

What to take from it

Pediatric psychologists recommend focusing on three key areas, using a simple ABC approach: (A) anticipating challenges, (B) building skills and (C) staying connected.

Details worth keeping

Many are also carrying stress, anxiety and other emotional challenges. According to the CDC's 2023 national survey, nearly 40% of U.S.