Bad Therapy

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From the author of Irreversible Damage comes an investigation into a mental health industry that is harming American children. Gen Z’s mental health is significantly worse than previous generations, with rising youth suicide rates, common antidepressant prescriptions for children, and a growing number of mental health diagnoses failing to alleviate feelings of loneliness, sadness, and fear among kids. The issue, according to bestselling investigative journalist Abigail Shrier, lies not with the children but with the mental health experts. Through hundreds of interviews with psychologists, parents, teachers, and young people, Shrier examines how the mental health industry has altered the ways we teach, treat, and communicate with children. She uncovers that many therapeutic approaches have serious side effects and limited benefits. Her alarming findings include: talk therapy can lead to rumination, trapping children in anxiety and depression; social-emotional learning may hinder vulnerable children; and "gentle parenting" can provoke emotional turbulence and violence as children seek adult guidance. While mental health care can be lifesaving for those with severe needs, it can be detrimental for the average child. This work is essential for anyone questioning why efforts to support America’s youth have backfired and what parents can do to instigate change.