As Colorado Springs students prepare to return to classrooms, mental health experts are raising alarms about elevated stress levels among children and teenagers heading into a new school year.

According to the American Institute of Stress, 75% of high school students and 50% of middle schoolers consistently feel stressed. The figures underscore what clinicians describe as a predictable but serious seasonal challenge for families.

Dr. Ariana Hoet, pediatric psychologist and executive clinical director of The Kids Mental Health Foundation, said stress can occur even when good things are happening. "It happens because there's a change, right? We're going from the summer schedule back to a new school schedule, and so it creates stress," Hoet said. "That change simply causes a little bit of lack of control in our feelings and so it's normal for the adults and the kids to be feeling that way."

Saying goodbye to summer in preparation for a new school year can trigger a flood of difficult emotions, whether that's anxiety, sadness, excitement, or even fear. Some families may feel a sense of dread about adjusting to a more rigid, less flexible routine, or anxiety about looming expenses and shorter days. As a parent, the costs of sending a child back to school can add up quickly — from buying uniforms to school supplies and course materials, let alone tuition if a teen is heading to college.

For students themselves, the pressures are both academic and social. As next-level classes offer a more demanding workload, teens may feel swamped at the thought of a schedule packed with classes, homework, and extracurricular activities — a stark contrast to the laid-back summer months, when they had significant free time. While teens may generally feel excited to reconnect with friends, those who feel like outsiders or are entering new schools with different classmates can have a harder time adjusting, and diving back into an environment where they are exposed to peers and teachers daily can also be overstimulating after a long break.

Experts say parental engagement is among the most effective tools available. Hoet noted that kids carry what she described as an emotional backpack of feelings that can be difficult to identify as a parent, and said it is important for parents to have conversations with their children to identify those feelings and work through them. She pointed out that children transitioning to middle or high school may be nervous about practical matters like walking to class or opening their lockers, making simple check-ins valuable.

Beyond the home, school community also plays a measurable role. When students feel welcomed and connected to their school community, their mental health improves, they do well academically, and are less likely to engage in high-risk behaviors like drug use and violence, according to a 2018 review of 82 studies. Experts recommend that students lean into extracurricular interests and invest in relationships with trusted teachers. Research highlighted by the American Psychological Association shows that teachers who foster positive relationships with their students support their adjustment to school, social skill development, and academic performance and engagement.

For families who need additional support, professional options are expanding. According to research published in the journal Frontiers Public Health, online therapy shows significant promise in expanding access to and improving care for youth — particularly in underserved populations that struggle to access in-person therapy, as teletherapy also reduces the barriers and logistics involved with seeking support as well as the stigma associated with it.

Local school district guidance on available mental health resources for the coming academic year has not yet been released.