As students settle into a new school year, they’re carrying more than backpacks filled with notebooks and homework. Many are also carrying stress, anxiety and other emotional challenges. Research suggests those pressures are common. According to the CDC’s 2023 national survey, nearly 40% of U .S. high school students reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness.  Other surveys point to the prevalence of stress and anxiety among young people.  A 2025 Pew Research Center report found that 30% of teens ages 13 to 17 said anxiety and depression were extremely or very common among students at their school, while another 38% said they were somewhat common.  Meanwhile, a 2024 Gallup survey of U.S. youth ages 10 to 18 found that 45% felt stressed a lot the previous day and 38% reported feeling anxious. “Kids are carrying a lot in those emotional backpacks,” said Tyanna Snider, a pediatric psychologist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and contributor to the Kids Mental Health Foundation. Experts say families can play an important role in helping children manage those feelings before stress begins to affect their well-being. Pediatric psychologists recommend focusing on three key areas, using a simple ABC approach: (A) anticipating challenges, (B) building skills and (C) staying connected. var pymParent = new pym.Parent('emotional-backpack', 'https://visuals.otsops.com/projects/bts-emotions/emotional-backpack-final.preview.html', {title: '', parenturlparam: '', parenturlvalue: ''}); A: Anticipate challenges before they grow While the start of school may bring excitement, it can also bring uncertainty. Even weeks into the school year, students may still be adjusting to new teachers, classmates, schedules and expectations. Snider said caregivers should create opportunities for children to talk about both the parts of school they enjoy and the parts they find difficult. Regular check-ins can help adults identify concerns before they escalate. Rather than asking a simple yes-or-no question about how school is going, experts encourage caregivers to ask more open-ended questions, such as what children are looking forward to, what is challenging them and how adults can support them. Families should also pay attention to changes in behavior that may signal stress or anxiety. “You might also start to notice some increased irritability in your children, maybe some moodiness, or even some of those physical concerns or complaints like headaches, stomach aches,” Snider said. She said those symptoms can sometimes be signs of stress, anxiety or other mental health concerns. Education Sep 8 Americans' satisfaction with schools is at a low point, new Gallup poll shows Parenting Aug 21 How to help your kids make friends at a new school Back to school Aug 19 More than 2 million students use tobacco products. Here's what to know as school begins B: Build skills for success Academic pressure remains one of the biggest stressors for many students. But experts say some children are struggling less with anxiety itself and more with a lack of tools to manage increasing school demands. “A lot of the time there might be things that we can do to help kind of better manage that stress or give them some skills, some tools so that they can feel in a little bit better control of what those stressors might be,” Snider said. Dr. Ariana Hoet, executive clinical director of the Kids Mental Health Foundation and a pediatric psychologist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, said practical skills can make a significant difference. “Many times as a therapist, children come to therapy thinking they have an anxiety disorder, when really they don’t know what to do in school,” Hoet said. She said some children have never been taught basic organizational skills, such as how to keep track of assignments, use a calendar or break large projects into smaller, manageable steps. For example, a student overwhelmed by a 100-page reading assignment may feel more confident when it is divided into shorter daily goals, such as 10 pages a day for the next 10 days. “All those tools help them feel in control and lower their stress,” Hoet said. Experts recommend helping children use planners, calendars or digital reminders to track homework, deadlines and extracurricular commitments throughout the year. C: Connect with school and community Strong connections at school can also help protect children’s mental health. “We know that school connectedness, school belonging is a significant protective factor for a child’s mental health, physical health, but also their academic and school performance,” Snider said. Experts encourage families to stay engaged with teachers, counselors and school staff, especially if a child appears to be struggling. Hoet said connection extends beyond the classroom. Activities such as sports, clubs, after-school programs and other extracurricular opportunities can help children build friendships and a sense of belonging. Helping children feel like valued members of their school community can reduce feelings of isolation and provide important emotional support throughout the year. If stress-related symptoms persist or begin interfering with daily life, Snider recommends seeking additional help. “If those don’t seem to get better or resolve within the first two or three weeks of school and are persisting or really starting to get in the way of everyday life and functioning, that’s a really good time to seek out some additional conversations with the school counselor, with the teacher, with your pediatrician or primary care provider,” she said. Mental health experts say families do not need to wait until a crisis develops to support children. Regular conversations, practical coping skills and strong school connections can help significantly lighten the emotional load students carry throughout the school year. ...read more read less