18.8%

18.8% (4.9 million) of adolescents ages 12-17 had moderate or severe symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder in 2024.

(National Survey on Drug Use and Health, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2025)

15.4%

15.4% (3.8 million) of adolescents ages 12-17 had a Major Depressive Episode the past year.

(2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2025)

10.1%

2.6 million (10.1%) of adolescents ages 12-17 reported serious thoughts of suicide in 2024

(National Survey on Drug Use and Health; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2025)

4 teens sitting around a table working together

Project CRATERS is a youth participatory action research project to develop, pilot, implement and evaluate a peer-led, teen mental health promotion intervention. Project CRATERS addresses the need to expand mental health services for Iowa teens beyond treatment facilities to include community-level and peer supports, particularly to emphasize prevention and mental health promotion as current services focus more on treatment and lack the full cascade of evidence-based supports.