America’s Troubled Youth

The American Psychological Association has reported on multiple findings, warning that children in America are experiencing an unprecedented crisis in mental health (2022 Trends Report, January 1, 2022). Schools and hospitals are seeing a striking increase in children and young people seeking mental health care, and suicide has become one of the leading causes of death for individuals 12 to 24 years of age. This crisis has been aggravated by nearly two years of lockdowns and loneliness due the COVID pandemic, trauma and anxiety related to school shootings, fears generated by news reports about the “climate crisis” and growing violence in cities and communities, and terrorist activities and wars around the world. The solution many propose to this crisis is more money to place more psychologists and mental health counselors in schools and communities.

However, less expensive and potentially more effective remedies are being overlooked. Studies document that people who attend church regularly experience much less depression and better mental health (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, May 6, 2020). Yet, at the same time as this mental health crisis has grown, church attendance has steadily declined (PEW Research Center, October 17, 2019). This is especially true for young people, of whom nearly 40 percent now claim no religious affiliation and seldom or never attend church. Churchgoers not only have more social support, but they also often have a greater sense of purpose, which is an important element in dealing with depression (MedicalNewsToday, November 21, 2022).

Long ago, the prophet Hosea warned the children of Israel, “Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children” (Hosea 4:6). As our nations turn away from God and reject His laws, our nations are reaping the fruit of the secular seeds that have been sown in our modern world. To learn more about an overlooked solution to this modern crisis, read or view our booklet Biblical Principles of Health.