We can credit these insights to a perennial preschooler, a certain cherry red Muppet with an unmistakable chirrup.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Remember back in January when Elmo, of Sesame Street<\/a><\/em> fame, posted on X<\/a>, \u201cElmo is just checking in! How is everybody doing?\u201d and got inundated? The simple, yet broad question drew cheeky responses from businesses, celebrities, and civic organizations. Jimmy John\u2019s<\/a> joked, \u201cwell it\u2019s the 800th day of January so.\u201d Oreo<\/a> quipped, \u201cran out of milk. do the math.\u201d Chance the Rapper<\/a> wasn\u2019t doing too badly, writing, \u201cHonestly, I\u2019m in a really good place rn.\u201d<\/p>\n Elmo is just checking in! How is everybody doing?<\/p>\n \u2014 Elmo (@elmo) January 29, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/p>\n Others on social media, though, found their mental health faltering in the midwinter<\/a>. From lamenting it was Monday to admitting they were seriously struggling, users aired their grief, trauma, depression, frustration, and anxiety amid memes of dumpster fires. <\/p>\n Elmo told his followers<\/a>, in part, \u201cWow! Elmo is glad he asked! Elmo learned that it is important to ask a friend how they are doing. Elmo will check in again soon, friends!\u201d <\/p>\n And check in he did, through this latest poll engineered to appraise Americans\u2019 mental health. Sesame Workshop, the global nonprofit behind PBS\u2019s Sesame Street<\/em>, announced the findings last week.<\/p>\n \u201cWe could not have predicted the overwhelming response that followed Elmo\u2019s post,\u201d Samantha Maltin<\/a>, Sesame Workshop\u2019s executive vice president and chief marketing and brand officer, said in a news release<\/a> about the results. \u201cThe tweet, and the campaign it spawned, reached over 300 million people, with more than 3 million heartfelt reactions pouring in.<\/p>\n \u201cAs Elmo\u2019s viral moment and this new study indicate, the most pressing issue facing American families right now is mental health and emotional well-being.\u201d<\/p>\n The report is based on a survey of more than 2,000 people ages 16 and older conducted in May. Data were weighted to be representative of the U.S. population, with generations divided into these age groups:<\/p>\n In addition, nearly 300 preschool and K\u201312 educators, including principals and counselors, were polled.<\/p>\n Americans don\u2019t just view mental health as figuratively important; they want to see those in power take action. A majority (81%) agreed with the statement, \u201cLeaders of our institutions need to reorient their priorities around well-being.\u201d<\/p>\n Perhaps so many people in the U.S. want to shine a spotlight on mental health<\/a> because their own is in jeopardy. Most survey respondents (79%) said their own well-being was negatively impacted by at least one factor, with more than half of teens<\/a> (54%) and a third of parents<\/a> (32%) saying mental health issues were negatively impacting their own or their family\u2019s well-being<\/a>. Overall, over a quarter of people (27%) cited their own or their family\u2019s mental and emotional health as a source of negativity. Lack of access to high-quality education and learning opportunities was another driver of negativity for a quarter of parents (25%).<\/p>\n While the COVID-19 federal public health emergency<\/a> may be over and the virus shifted from pandemic to endemic status<\/a>, plenty of parents (61%) reported their family was still experiencing the coronavirus\u2019s negative effects. Nearly half of all respondents (44%)\u2014and majorities of Black (57%), Hispanic (56%), and LGBTQ+ (55%) respondents\u2014said the same.<\/p>\n Survey respondents ranked these negative impacts as most damaging to their well-being:<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s heartening to see the growing openness around mental health discussions today,\u201d Maltin said. \u201cAmericans understand that mental health is a vital issue, and that\u2019s why the need for our work has never been greater.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cBy celebrating everyday joys, teaching children to understand their emotions<\/a>, and helping parents recognize the signs of more serious mental health challenges, we\u2019re building a solid foundation for children\u2019s emotional well-being that will support them for years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n Jacob Wackerhausen\u2014Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Education should encompass social and emotional skills just as much as academics, according to most Gen Z and millennial respondents (63%), compared to a smaller majority of older generations (58%). Nearly three-quarters of educators (71%) agree.<\/p>\n This may be because the younger generations feel they missed out on this teaching. The vast majority of Gen Z and millennial respondents (82%) agreed with the statement, \u201cI wish I had been taught more about how to understand and manage my emotions as a child,\u201d compared to 65% of Gen X and Boomers. An even larger proportion of parents (84%) said the same.<\/p>\n The data also suggest today\u2019s parents want to be more open with their children about mental health. Well over half of parents (79%) and all respondents (67%) agreed, \u201cI wish my parents had been more honest with me about their mental health struggles.\u201d<\/p>\n The survey measured a number of other issues<\/a>, including how people perceive U.S. adults and children, the importance of kindness in a healthy society, and the meaning of resilience. Nearly all respondents (90%) agreed, \u201cNurturing kindness in children has a positive ripple effect, building a brave and caring society for generations to come.\u201d<\/p>\n If you need immediate mental health support, contact the <\/em>988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n For more on mental health:<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
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COVID continues to negatively impact Americans\u2019 well-being<\/h2>\n
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Gen Z, millennials want social-emotional learning in schools<\/h2>\n