Extension Educators Supporting You(th)

Fact Sheets have been created to provide research-based, practical information as a resource to support the mental health needs of youth.

The recently released Wisconsin Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) data from the Wisconsin Department of Instruction, notes that over half of Wisconsin students report significant problems with anxiety, and one-third report problems with symptoms of depression in the last year. In fact, in the last 10 years the rates of students reporting they feel sad or hopeless every day for 2 weeks or more in a row increased by over 10% with the 2021 rate being 33.7% of students completing the survey. In addition, the percentage of students who seriously considered dying by suicide also increased nearly 5% in the last 10 years with the 2021 rate at 18.1%. It should be noted that suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth ages 10-14 (nimh.nih.gov, 2023).

Although, one does not have to read the recent data to know that the number of youth struggling with managing stress, anxiety, and choosing healthy coping strategies is increasing. We can just observe the youth around us and engage with the adults in their lives to see the evidence of this data. Compounding what the data tells us we also know that youth who are involved with agriculture by virtue of their family can experience their own unique set of stressors related to the trials of living in farm families and communities – debt, low commodity prices, unfavorable weather, animal illness or lack of productivity, produce issues, illness, injuries, and reduced access to support resources.

Unlike physical conditions, symptoms of mental health and substance use problems can be difficult to detect. Adolescence is a crucial time to provide support. Friends and family members may not know where to start, especially in under-resourced rural areas. As a result, those in need of mental health services often do not receive care until symptoms are severe and impacting daily life. In fact, less than one-fourth (22%) of Wisconsin youth report that they receive the help they need when they feel distressed (WI DPI YRBS, 2021).

Supporting Youth Mental Health

In response to the mental health crisis that Wisconsin youth are facing, the UW-Madison Division of Extension has developed Supporting Youth Mental Health Fact Sheets for families, caregivers, community members, and youth serving professionals. These groundbreaking skills-based fact sheets give family members, neighbors, and youth serving professionals tools to identify, understand and support a youth who might be struggling with a mental health or substance use challenge — and connect them with appropriate support and resources when necessary.

Each fact sheet is research-based, easy to read, and provides practical strategies to support youth mental health. They are available in English, Spanish, and Hmong.

Access the fact sheets