The new school year brings a mix of emotions to my house. My kids, like many, are excited to see their friends, play sports, engage in activities and clubs and even take new classes. But at the same time, kids — and, by extension, their parents — are experiencing a new set of anxieties. Friend groups change; some kids get left out or are bullied. Academic pressures build — as do fears around making teams or getting the role they want in an activity or club. All the while, the world and their place in it grow bigger each year.

This mix of emotions that so many families experience serves to highlight just how deeply complex youth mental health is and why we need to keep talking openly about it. To better understand these issues, the Coalition to Empower our Future, or CEF, has been digging

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