On February 13, the CDC published the results of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey. The bottom line is that the youth mental health crisis is getting worse, especially for girls and LGBTQIA youth. It's bleak out there. One factor that the CDC has observed can improve mental health and lower risky behavior is "connectedness," at school, among family, and in the community. According to Dr. Kathleen Ethier, head of the C.D.C.’s adolescent and school health program,"Young people who feel connected in middle school and high school 20 years later have better mental health, are less likely to be perpetrators or victims of violence, are less likely to use substances and are less likely to attempt suicide. . . . So school connectedness is a very powerful protective factor.” Greeting students in the morning is one example of promoting connectedness. Another powerful act? Encouraging students to acknowledge each other with a simple "hi" -- everyone, everywhere, every time. It's a start.
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