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\"Mental health challenges in children, adolescents, and young adults are real and widespread. Even before the pandemic, an alarming number of young people struggled with feelings of helplessness, depression, and thoughts of suicide -- and rates have increased over the past decade,\" Murthy said at the time. \"The COVID-19 pandemic further altered their experiences at home, school, and in the community, and the effect on their mental health has been devastating.\"

In that same advisory, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services noted that, prior to the pandemic, \"mental health challenges were the leading cause of disability and poor life outcomes in young people, with up to 1 in 5 children ages 3 to 17 in the U.S. having a mental, emotional, developmental, or behavioral disorder.\"

According to HHS, from 2009-2019, the number of high school students who reported \"persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness\" rose by 40%. Suicide rates also increased pre-COVID with rates among those ages 10-24 spiking 57% between 2007 and 2018. The department noted that \"early estimates\" showed \"more than 6,600 suicide deaths among this age group in 2020.\"

\"The pandemic added to the pre-existing challenges that America’s youth faced,\" the department stated. \"It disrupted the lives of children and adolescents, such as in-person schooling, in-person social opportunities with peers and mentors, access to health care and social services, food, housing, and the health of their caregivers. The pandemic’s negative impacts most heavily affected those who were vulnerable to begin with, such as youth with disabilities, racial and ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+ youth, low-income youth, youth in rural areas, youth in immigrant households, youth involved with the child welfare or juvenile justice systems, and homeless youth.\"

The department outlined a number of recommendations to address the problem, including \"recogniz[ing] that mental health is an essential part of overall health\" and \"empower[ing] youth and their families to recognize, manage, and learn from difficult emotions.\"

HHS also recommended better data collection on youth mental health -- including more information \"on the relationship between technology and youth mental health\" -- as well as increasing access to mental health resources, supporting mental health \"in educational, community, and childcare settings,\" and \"address[ing] the economic and social barriers that contribute to poor mental health for young people, families, and caregivers.\"

Free support is available for anyone struggling with thoughts of suicide, self-harm, or any mental health crisis by calling or texting the newly recreated three-digit National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 988.

ABC News' Kendall Ross and Katie Kindelan contributed to this report.

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