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Detroit and Flint teens are struggling with their mental health – and worried adults around them feel ‘helpless’

<name>Crystal Cederna, Associate Professor of Public Health, Michigan State University</name> <foaf:homepage rdf:resource="https://theconversation.com/profiles/crystal-cederna-1645920"/>· 25 septembre 2026

Constant stress makes it harder for teens to manage emotions. Maskot/Getty Images Teens in southeast Michigan go to school carrying with them far more than backpacks, books and water bottles. Many are shouldering economic hardship, exposure to adversity and discrimination, family responsibilities,…

Résumé

Teens face heavy burdens

Teens in Detroit and Flint carry burdens beyond schoolwork, including economic hardship, discrimination, family responsibilities, and uncertainty about the future.

These pressures were shared in 2024 focus groups in Detroit and 2026 community meetings in Flint.

A pediatric psychologist and researcher with over a decade of experience in Michigan notes that today’s teens face threats to their well-being that adults may not immediately recognize.

For example, many students report feeling exhausted every day, with some struggling with depression, anxiety, trauma, or substance use like alcohol and marijuana.

These issues are often linked to unaddressed mental health challenges or as coping mechanisms for stress.

School personnel, including teachers and administrators, observed these struggles firsthand, describing students as physically and mentally worn down.

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