When asked what common problems teenagers in the United States see in their peers, most said anxiety and depression, according to a new survey by the Pew Research Center. This category exceeded bullying, drug addiction, alcohol consumption and poverty.

The top result was consistent across demographic groups, including gender, racial and socioeconomic types, according to the survey of teens ages 13 to 17.

Overall, 70 percent of teenagers said anxiety and depression were a major problem among peers. Following this category were bullying (55 percent), drug addiction (51 percent), drinking alcohol (45 percent), poverty (40 percent), teen pregnancy (34 percent), and gangs (33 percent).

Experts tie the increase in mental health problems among teenagers to increased social media use, pressure to achieve in school, as well as news of terror attacks and school shootings.

“Teenagers who grew up in the post-9/11 era, and amid many school shootings, may have anxiety tied to an environment filled with dire warnings about safety, said Philip Kendall, director of the Child and Adolescent Anxiety Disorders Clinic at Temple University in Philadelphia,” The New York Times reported.

The Pew study supported a connection between depression, anxiety and academic pressure, as it found 61 percent of teens feel a lot of pressure to make good grades in school. This far exceeded the number of teens who say they feel heavily pressured to look good (28 percent) and to fit in socially (28 percent).

Academic pressure appears to be tied to young peoples’ increasing focus on careers rather than families. Pew found that 95 percent of teens say they prioritize having a job or career they enjoy, compared to 47 percent who prioritize getting married.

According to The Washington Post: “Psychologists Thomas Curran and Andrew Hill found that unhealthy perfectionism has surged among young adults, with the biggest increase seen in those who feel pressured by the expectations of others. Perfectionism, the study’s authors say, is a mix of excessively high personal standards (‘I have to excel at everything I do’) and intense self-criticism (‘I’m a complete failure if I fall short’). In its unhealthiest forms, perfectionism can lead to eating disorders, depression, high blood pressure and thoughts of suicide.”

Read the article on being your best, not the best, in this issue of the Ambassador Youth to help you and potentially others who may be struggling with this issue.