Schools are now on the frontline of youth mental health

By the time the first school bell rings, some students are carrying far more than backpacks. As soon as school started this year, CHRIS 180 therapists embedded in metro Atlanta schools were already hearing from school counselors, social workers and administrators asking for help. Students were returning to classrooms dysregulated, grieving losses or trying to process traumatic experiences that happened over the summer. In many cases, they had received no mental health support during the break as families didn t know where to turn beyond school staff or the therapists available once classes resumed. That experience highlights a new reality that schools have become a frontline source of youth mental health care. The latest national data show why. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s 2025 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 4.6 million adolescents ages 12 to 17 have experienced moderate or severe anxiety symptoms, 3.7 million have exper