Is youth mental health really worse today than it was decades ago?

Young people’s mental health “has entered a dangerous phase” and “now might be our last chance to act”, scientists have written in the journal The Lancet. They argue that accumulating evidence indicates a steady decline in the mental health of people aged 12 to 25 over the past two decades, with covid-19 causing a recent major plummet.

Aside from the pandemic, some also point the finger at climate change and smartphones, arguing that these affect younger people more than their older counterparts, or even…