Erie County students face depression, substance issues as well as academic challenges (2024)

Fewer Erie County students are smoking or drinking compared to past years.

And while fewer students report mental health issues, the numbers still are alarmingly high, according to results of the 2023 Pennsylvania Youth Survey. The survey was given to students in grades six, eight, 10 and 12 in participating public and private schools in fall 2023. County and statewide results are shared to help communities address issues confronting children and teens.

"Just because numbers are coming down doesn't mean that they're good," said Amy Eisert, director of Mercyhurst University's Thomas J. Gamble Civic Institute. The institute helps facilitate the Erie County Policy and Planning Council for Children and Families, an organization of mental health, education, criminal justice, and other community services professionals addressing violence prevention and youth and family issues.

"There definitely is work to be done," Eisert said.

Mental health: 'I think I am no good at all'

As students return to classes this fall, many will cope with mental health issues as well as academics.

More than 41% of Erie County children and teens participating in the Pennsylvania Youth Survey last fall indicated that they felt depressed or sad most days through the past year.

Almost 39% agreed with the statement that "at times I think I am no good at all."

More than 18% had seriously considered suicide; 6.3% said they had attempted it. And more than 17% had cut, scraped, burned or otherwise harmed themselves.

The local numbers are slightly higher than statewide results and declined for the first time in four survey cycles. But they are still concerning, Eisert said. The survey is conducted in odd-numbered years.

Also concerning is that depression can fuel substance use. Students who reported sadness and depression are as much as 10 times more likely than their peers to use alcohol, marijuana and tobacco, according to the survey.

More: When students return to school, many will deal with mental health or substance issues

'Feeling alone' and escaping reality

Family troubles, bullying and social media are among the root causes of depression, said members of the Lake Erie Youth Reaching Out Against Destruction, or R.O.A.D. Crew, Erie County middle school and high school students who advocate for healthy choices and educate peers about the dangers of substance use and other destructive behaviors.

"I think those things can come from feeling alone," said McDowell High School junior Ayo Adebayo. "Growing up is a very tough experience when you don't have a friends group or community that you feel you belong to. If that's lacking, you might turn to drugs or alcohol or make other unhealthy choices as an escape."

Virtual connections can lead to real isolation, said Justin Burgos, a new General McLane High School graduate.

"A lot of people are so locked into social media and their phones that that's all they really do," Burgos said, "maybe because they think nobody likes them or they feel left out."

That almost constant online interaction can further reduce opportunities for face-to-face interaction, he said. "Maybe nobody talks to them because they're always on their phones."

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Bullying is another major cause of youth depression. The survey found that students who are bullied are much more likely than their peers to be depressed and to contemplate suicide.

Cyberbullying can be equally or even more harmful, said Danielle Seib, a 2024 Harbor Creek High School graduate.

"If someone posts something bad about you, you feel like it can been seen by anyone who uses social media," Seib said. "Rumors get started and you can lose friends and withdraw."

Substances: Pressure to 'fit in'

Student alcohol and tobacco use has declined in recent years and declined significantly since 2009.

Roughly 30% of Erie County students surveyed this past fall reported they had tried alcohol at some time, down from 46% in 2009. Twelve percent said they had consumed alcohol in the past month, compared to 22% in 2009.

Seven percent had smoked a cigarette at some time. That's half the 2019 percentage and down from 26% in 2009. Two percent had smoked in the past month, half the 2019 number.

Similarly, fewer students are vaping, 10% in the past month in 2023, compared to 21% in 2019.

A major concern with those numbers is that alcohol has become the substance of choice for children and young adults.

"Vaping had been in the top spot," Eisert said. "Now alcohol has jumped up above that."

Notable, too, is that most students who vape say they are vaping nicotine, a reversal from past years.

"That's a really concerning trend," Eisert said. "When vaping was first on the survey in about 2017, most students were using flavorings and very few used nicotine. Now very few are using flavoring."

Students need to know that by vaping, even vaping flavors rather than nicotine, they're taking harmful chemicals into the body, said Mike Fiorelli, regional manager for Adagio Health, which provides smoking and vaping cessation programs in Erie County. The agency also provides in-school education for children and teens.

"We're working to slow down the numbers of teens who are vaping and would love to see a major decline in the next PAYS report in two years," Fiorelli said.

Peer pressure is a major driver in substance use, teens said.

"Say you have a group of five friends you've known since elementary school, and you're the only one who doesn't smoke," said Adebayo, of the R.O.A.D. Crew. "You'd feel uncomfortable and not included and might start smoking to fit in."

Being bullied also can lead to substance use, said R.O.A.D. Crew member Emily Novakowski, a senior at Mercyhurst Preparatory School.

"People may turn to alcohol and drug use to escape the reality of being bullied and in the hope that it may make them feel better about themselves," Nowakowski said.

The work to be done

The Erie County Policy and Planning Council for Children and Families recently released its updated community action plan for children and families. The plan details initiatives to address four main risk factors facing young people, including depression.

"In the area of mental health, we're looking at trying to simplify the terminology around the mental health system so it's much more user-friendly for those seeking services," Eisert said. "We're also looking at universal screenings in schools or the community to try to catch issues early."

Schools in recent years have received increased state funding to boost support services to help students cope with pressures and steer them to additional help. The 2024-25 state budget includes an additional $100 million for school safety and mental health grants.

"It's been a tremendous help," both in funding additional counselors and allowing schools to increase hours for school-based therapists, said Vincent Senita, a counselor at Millcreek's Westlake Middle School.

Schools also are doing more to educate students about substance use.

"Schools spend a lot of time on education about the negative effects of that, including vaping. There's been a significant uptick in vaping and e-cigarette use, because it's accessible. Students seem to be able to get those things pretty easily," Senita said.

Pep rallies at Westlake applaud students involved in positive activities with their peers and encourage others to get involved.

"The biggest thing I tell families is that it's important for their child to get connected to school in some way — through a club, a sport, an activity or volunteering, also in the community or at church," Senita said. "Those connections to positive peers and adults make a world of difference to a student."

Teens can help by talking to peers struggling with substance or mental health issues, said Burgos, of the R.O.A.D. Crew. Members of the teen group visit schools to explain the consequences of substance use. They also produce podcasts and operate a Hidden in Plain Sight trailer that has a mock-up of a teen's room with indications of at-risk behaviors. The trailer is open to the public at local fairs and other community events.

"If someone sees something in their little brother's room, they can take the initiative to sit down and talk with them, or talk to friends struggling with vaping or drinking," Burgos said.

The key is to help peers recognize the dangers and long-term consequences of negative behaviors, Seib, of the R.O.A.D. Crew, said.

"People need to realize they have their whole lives ahead of them. Why screw things up for a moment?" Seib said.

About the survey

The Pennsylvania Youth Survey is funded by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, and Department of Education and is offered at no cost to public, private, charter and parochial schools statewide.

In 2023, Northwestern was the only school district in Erie County that did not participate. Montessori Regional Charter School and Perseus House Charter School of Excellence were the only private, charter or parochial schools that did participate.

Students respond anonymously and can choose not to take part in the survey. Nearly three-quarters of the 10,470 students in grades six, eight, 10 and 12 in participating Erie County schools responded on paper or online last fall.

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Contact Valerie Myers at vmyers@timesnews.com.