How has the accessibility of civic education and engagement opportunities influenced mental health in US adolescents?

With the evolution of digital social networks, communities are undergoing an unprecedented transition. Young people are developing civic dispositions through copious streaming platforms and online content, which affects their mental health on multiple levels. 

Identifying with intense loneliness and shallow friendships is not uncommon for adolescents. Gen Z is feeling loneliness at higher rates than other generations – 27 percent vs 19 percent of Millennials or 16 percent of Gen Xers (CIRCLE, 2024). They converse with friends over digital messaging platforms and have fewer opportunities to engage in community events. Political apathy and empathy burnout are on the rise, which is dangerous for the country. Democracy thrives best when it is fueled by a resilient, educated population that believes in a productive system.

Source: Science Direct, 2024 Gimbrone, Bates et al. 

Across the country, youth on different parts of the political spectrum are displaying more signs of depression. However, female liberal adolescents showed the greatest disparity (Gimbrone, Bates et al, 2024). Political affiliation informs mental health and well being, though external factors are also linked such as whether these students live in metropolitan areas or suburban neighborhoods that do not share similar political views. 

Voter apathy is present where there is disengagement, a valuable point for further study. As per a CIRCLE report, 57% of adolescents report a general interest in voting, but certain demographics such as Black and Latino youth show lower enthusiasm. Apathy persists where individual voices remain suppressed and they believe there is no value in voting when change no longer seems possible. Minority communities in general distrust political leadership. Despite the concerning attitude shift in response to our country’s political polarization, offering civic engagement opportunities can alleviate mental health symptoms. 

What constitutes civic engagement? 

Civic engagement has a broad definition. Be it through community organizations, religious spaces, sports teams, or a family environment where political conversations are encouraged, civic engagement builds trust in shared spaces. Young people who engage with their communities are at a lower risk for alcohol abuse, dropping out of school, or getting involved in crime (Granicus). 

Participating in civic life has numerous benefits. Service activities are linked to prosocial behavior, enhanced unity, and healthier social relationships among adolescents (Eldin, Ibrahim et al, 2024). Among teenagers and college-aged students, volunteerism contributed to lowering the risk for depression and anxiety (Korich and Fields, 2023). Overall, young people’s confidence in themselves and the meaningfulness they derive from life is reinforced by spending time in positive environments. Finding one’s place in society is integral to development, which is why civic engagement builds rapport and strengthens societal connections. Advocating for community interests emboldens young activists to understand their place in society and overcome oppression by using their distinct voices.

Promoting engagement within political affairs involves community interventions. If young people are comfortable and have spaces for self-expression, they can be vocal about personal opinions. Source: CIRCLE, April 2024 

Completing projects to strengthen community relations gives young people a sense of duty and empowerment, building their values and self efficacy. When students feel pride in where they live, it reflects throughout their surroundings. Calling residents to action brings forward renovations, public resources, and academic achievement. 

In addition, teens develop better social skills resulting from peer-peer interactions. Across multiple studies, teens’ friendship circles broadened after they participated in extracurriculars, boosting their emotional intelligence (Lopez and Baya, 2025). Developing partisan legislation with clear targets to enhance extracurricular opportunities will demonstrate these benefits.

The Importance of Third Spaces on Youth Mental Health and Engagement 

Existing research demonstrates a significant relationship between poor mental health and political apathy, but has not accounted for the nuances that afford a sufficient civic education. To consolidate current literature, I have classified public spaces into five distinct categories: athletic or entertainment centers, personal services, social services, religious organizations, and relief services e.g. childcare or shelters.

This analysis demonstrates the inherent value in investing in such opportunities for resources. Public spaces and community events offer networking opportunities, job postings, and foster trust among neighboring residents. Young people are then incentivized to pursue trades, internships, and outsource their skills rather than turn to violence or crime. Where there are numerous places of worship, observational research noted lower homicide rates and greater voter turnout (Eldin, Ibrahim et al). Fewer depressive symptoms and confidence among minority groups persist when they are provided flexible spaces for expanding on their interests (Lopez and Baya, 2025). However, underfunded neighborhoods and districts without adequate funding exhibit less robust civic education in schools and public events. 

Socioeconomic Status and Marginalized Communities’ Accessibility to Public Spaces (introducing nuance and privilege in three dimensions, as organized by the infographic Figure 1.) 

Figure 1

Accessibility to Public Spaces and Community Events Based on Demographic Specific Qualities 

	Third Spaces (gathering places aside from work, school, or home)	Public Events	Civic Education Curriculum
Minority Communities	Due to redlining, redistricting and disinvestment of public programs, predominantly Black and Hispanic communities have fewer healthcare opportunities, public libraries, and restaurants aside from small businesses (Rhubart, Sun et al, 2022)	While there may be substantial public event programming, language barriers and lacking representation among event organizers creates bias in what events are prioritized (Raychaudhuri, Davidson 2025). It is important to incorporate public events into a flexible framework where students can relate to local contexts. Block parties and celebrating local businesses are successful examples (Raychaudhuri, Davidson).	Students who are immigrants or minorities are more likely to experience bullying in schools where civics is not emphasized. Without classroom discussion to counteract political polarization, young people grow into inadequate critical thinkers, leaving minority communities isolated and under-represented (Ward, 2022).
Communities of Majority Lower Socioeconomic Status	If public resources are available, transport is a persistent obstacle for those in rural areas or households without vehicles. These barriers prevent residents from obtaining social capital and hinders upwards economic mobility.	Social welfare programs and similar community programs provide childcare to working class parents, which eases their stress.  Disinvestment creates instability. Instability is prevalent in transportation, where working class families are unable to support afterschool activities when activity buses are unavailable.	Districts with less “per pupil” funding left civic curriculum up to teacher discretion, resulting in greater focus on exams rather than project based learning (Ward, 2022). Rural youth are less likely to have the same civic education quality as wealthier peers, destabilizing their progress in college (Ward).
Affluent, Communities and districts	Wealthier states and neighborhoods have the opportunity to network for internships, jobs, and bulletins in local libraries or recreation centers. Funding is apportioned so schools are renovated with sports facilities and better technology (Rhubart, Sun et al).	In affluent communities, neighborhoods tend to be close knit and comfortable with one another. They develop strong social connections across cities and neighborhoods compared with weaker social ties that are limited to neighbors (Raychaudhuri, Davidson).	School funding across zip codes varies, which means that wealthier districts have greater capacity for robust programs with integrated resources. Massachusetts allocated money to civics across districts in 2022 (Ward).

Recent scholarship has also drawn conclusions about specific engagement practices that trigger stressors. For example, protest action and activism has shown to have some detrimental effects on youth mental health. Higher risks for anxiety and depressive symptoms were demonstrated among queer or respondents of color compared with positive self esteem primarily in low-income White respondents (Muzik et al, 2024). Well being has dimensions, as does civic engagement. Identifying with others and forming kinship ties is not homogenous across all cultures in the United States.

Based upon such reasoning, cultivating a healthy civic culture must go beyond advertising specific programming or conducting systemwide analyses on which populations do not have resources. Providing the structure and educators prepared to handle the duality of youth struggling on a mental and physical level will promote growth. So, how does a population go about cultivating environments for productive discourse in a polarized, overstimulated society? The first step is understanding what constitutes a solution forward narrative.

During tense political situations, building trust could occur apart from the traditional classroom setting. Educators could benefit from promoting student led initiatives and clubs, where the school itself is used for group activities. 

Combating Hopelessness By Building Trust 

Civic engagement promotes restructuring societal narratives, instilling adolescents with the critical thinking necessary for policy reform. School is a learning environment that often encourages inductive reasoning. Continued degradation and humiliation prevent flexible thinking and encourages youth to conform in a particular political climate. If educators cannot teach current events without inherent biases, it could alienate students who believe in a different idea. 

Mental health literacy varies from state to state, a significant concern when addressing adolescent distress. Source: Manhattan Institute, 2024 

Adolescents’ sense of place is being distorted, which has psychological impacts on how they perceive education overall. Symbols are how we articulate allegiance, our trust in a system that represents a background, a universal context supporting these actions. As trust dissolves, our confidence wavers and dilutes the extent to which we participate in communal events.  Deepening young people’s ties to civic engagement can improve their mental health by alleviating hopelessness. If youth work towards initiatives that affect their community or general lives, they can develop meaning and purpose, which a 2024 Harvard study recorded that 58% of youth lack (Jed Foundation). There is no definite third space or community that is best for adolescents; promoting diversity is essential. 

Conclusion

In our evolving, globalized society it is imperative that we address youth mental health from a civic perspective. Recognizing the influence third spaces, communal activities, and in-person peer interactions have on adolescents’ cognitive function is the first step in reforming many exclusive systems in our country holding students back. As we integrate opportunities for early work training and career readiness into school systems, adolescents should be on a level basis with those who live in metropolitan, affluent areas. 

Works Cited 

1.  Gimbrone, Catherine, et al. “The Politics of Depression: Diverging Trends in Internalizing Symptoms among US Adolescents by Political Beliefs.” SSM - Mental Health, vol. 2, Dec. 2022, p. 100043, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmmh.2021.100043.

2. Immordino-Yang, Mary Helen, et al. “Civic Reasoning Depends on Transcendent Thinking: Implications of Adolescent Brain Development for SEL.” Social and Emotional Learning: Research, Practice, and Policy, Oct. 2024, p. 100067, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sel.2024.100067.

3. Korich, Faye, and Errol L. Fields. “Civic Engagement to Empower Young People to Impact Health and Well-Being.” Pediatrics, vol. 151, no. Supplement 1, 1 Apr. 2023, https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2022-057267h.

4. “Youth and the 2024 Election: Likely to Vote and Ready to Drive Action on Key Political Issues.” Circle.tufts.edu, 29 Nov. 2023, circle.tufts.edu/2024-election-youth-poll#a-majority-of-youth-say-they%E2%80%99ll-vote-in-2024%E2%80%94but-less-sure-who-to-vote-for.

5.  Oubiña López, Marina, and Diego Gómez Baya. “Interventions to Promote Civic Engagement among Youth and Its Outcomes on Mental Health: A Scoping Review.” Children, vol. 12, no. 6, 22 May 2025, p. 665, https://doi.org/10.3390/children12060665. Accessed 5 July 2025.

6. Rhubart, Danielle, et al. “Sociospatial Disparities in “Third Place” Availability in the United States.” Socius: Sociological Research for a Dynamic World, vol. 8, Jan. 2022, p. 237802312210903, https://doi.org/10.1177/23780231221090301.

7. in. “Urban Affairs Review.” Urban Affairs Review, 12 Aug. 2024, www.urbanaffairsreview.com/uar-archive/social-ties-community-events.

8. Ward, Sydney. “Lack of Quality Civic Education in Public Schools in the United States.” Ballard Brief, 2022, ballardbrief.byu.edu/issue-briefs/lack-of-quality-civic-education-in-public-schools-in-the-united-states.

9. Mužík, Michal, et al. “The Effect of Civic Engagement on Different Dimensions of Well-Being in Youth: A Scoping Review.” Adolescent Research Review, 17 Apr. 2024, https://doi.org/10.1007/s40894-024-00239-x.

10. “The Impact of Civic Engagement on Identity Development | Center for the Developing Adolescent.” Ucla.edu, 2024, developingadolescent.semel.ucla.edu/blog/item/the-impact-of-civic-engagement-on-identity-development.

11. Hill, Erika. “Civic Engagement Can Boost Youth Mental Health | the Jed Foundation.” The Jed Foundation, 30 Sept. 2024, jedfoundation.org/civic-engagement-can-boost-youth-mental-health/.

12. Eldin, Nihal Sharaf, et al. “The Effect of Civic Engagement on Mental Health and Behaviors among Adolescents.” Medicine Updates, vol. 0, no. 0, 4 Jan. 2025, pp. 76–92, https://doi.org/10.21608/muj.2025.348094.1197. Accessed 15 Jan. 2025.