One guess at a cause for student mental health issues, and one possible solution

I sometimes wonder how I would organize classes and motivate students were I thrust back into a high school job (the horror! the horror!). The current mental health challenges would need to be addressed. "Thoughts and prayers" for our young scholars to return to mental states that adults find more comfortable won't work by themselves.

My "solution" would be to continue or even expand upon "community building" activities for students.

In media production courses this would look pretty much like community (staff) activities have always looked in my advising life. Regularly scheduled after school and (often) Saturday morning work periods where staff can come and go when their own schedules permit. Lots of opportunities to eat together and celebrate each other (and discuss how we all did, which was not always great but which emphasize accountability). And occasional "group reporting" assignments, like all staff not playing or cheering to attend the first home football game and report on some chosen aspects of the event for at least a quarter, etc.

The opportunities to build strong communities among regular classes are more difficult to imagine. But I am often reminded of the old education truism: No one learns more than the teacher.

Students need to become teachers, at least in small "bits." This produces deeper learning and (maybe?) better engagement among others in the class, but also creates opportunities to practice leadership skills. 

For instance, assigning the mythical Jake and Noelle to prepare and present a ten-minute lesson on how recognize and "fix" comma splice errors would certainly make the presenters more aware. And those who already know the "rules" might appreciate knowing their peers are also now aware. Those who have been making that basic grammar error might benefit from hearing about it from someone other than the teacher.

Bottom line for improving student morale and encouraging more hope: Provide every student with regular opportunities to experience "ownership" of their learning. 

People rarely lose focus or interest in something where they "own" the process or product or experience. 

During the pandemic, students (most Americans in general) felt that life was out of control to some extent. It's tough to "own" something that is out of control, and that confusion and even depression can soon spread.

Or think of it this way: No one learns more than the teacher, so how can we make everyone a "teacher"?