NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — A recent study published by the CDC, shows how bad the mental health crisis is among teenage girls. Findings showed that 30% of teenage girls have considered suicide, which is a 60% increase from the previous decade. Antibullying laws appear to help, including one in Connecticut.

Surveys among teen girls were taken before anti-bullying laws were put into place and then afterward.

The rates of suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts in teen girls decreased after the laws were enacted.

“Across the board, after the legislation was enacted you saw pretty substantial drops in suicidal thoughts and suicidal attempts,” according to Yale Medicine Doctor F. Perry Wilson.

Health Headlines: Have anti-bullying laws helped teens’ mental health?

Wilson said the rate dropped dramatically in kids who were in gender minorities or those within the LGBTQ+ community.

The study results proved just how dangerous bullying can be.

“Bullying is a big component of some of the mental health struggles that kids are facing these days still but we can probably do more,” Dr. Wilson said.

Dr. Wilson is also warning people to be weary of information they see online, as it may not be credible.
A new study shows how alluring sharing information has proven to be.

“Well, I think social media really promotes this. It’s a dopamine surge. And you share something and then you see and you get to see how it does out there,” Dr. Wilson said.

But the problem in that was revealed.

“The more people were interested in sharing something publically the less interested they were in verifying its accuracy,” Dr. Wilson said.