Several news outlets, including KFBK Radio in Sacramento, KMIR TV in Palm Springs and Telemundo in Southern California, profiled Blue Shield of California's recent Back to School Survey announcement that found nearly 3 in 4 teenagers in California are worried about catching COVID on campus this year.
The survey – conducted between July 26 and Aug. 5, asked 500 middle- and high school students in California (ages 13-18) to reflect on their mental health before and throughout the COVID-19 pandemic as they head back to the classroom. The poll is part of Blue Shield’s BlueSky initiative, the nonprofit health plan’s multi-year effort to support youth mental health including online and on-campus mental health services and supporting educator training on student mental health.
Nearly 8 in 10 teens say they are concerned about getting good grades this school year. One bright spot is that teenagers are reaching out and discussing their mental health:
- 54% talked about their mental health with a friend
- 46% spoke with a parent or guardian
- 20% discussed with a teacher
- 18% turned to a professional counselor or therapist
Check out the various news coverage on the topic below.
- KMIR-TV (Palm Springs): Teens Struggle With Transition from Virtual to In-person Learning
- Telemundo: The fear marks the return to face-to-face classes of thousands of students in the US.
- Televisa (San Diego)
- Impulso news: Preocupa a jóvenes contagiarse de Covid-19 en escuelas
- KFBK Radio (Sacramento): Blue Shield Surveys California Teens About Back to Schools and Covid
- KPBS Radio (San Diego): A Possible Funding Infusion For Local Roads
- KALW (San Francisco): Survey: Teens Worried About COVID-19, Climate Change
- Bay City News: Covid-19, Grades, Climate Change Among Top Concerns For California Teens, According To Survey
- ABC7 San Francisco
- Spectrum News 1 (San Fernando Valley)
- KCBS Radio (San Francisco)
- CapRadio (Sacramento)
- KPFA FM (San Francisco)
For more on the Blue Shield of California’s youth mental health initiative, BlueSky, please click here.