October 5 marked the beginning of Mental Illness Awareness Week, a reminder for educators, parents, and youth advocates that our students face an unprecedented crisis. In a 2024 report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 40% of teens reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. Young people are navigating grief, anxiety, isolation, and trauma—and too often, they’re doing it alone.
At 826 National Youth Writing, we believe writing is a lifeline. Beyond school assignments, writing is a mental health intervention proven to help young people express emotions, reorganize brain patterns, and build resilience.
Research shows that writing can reorganize neural pathways, freeing cognitive resources and reduce the mental load of unprocessed emotions. With supportive writing programs and spaces, students can untangle complicated feelings, confront self-doubt, and turn pain into story. For BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and low-income youth, who often face systemic barriers to mental health support, writing offers a private space to process experiences, reclaim agency, and feel seen. Students gain confidence when they access writing as a tool—all critical ingredients for mental well-being and a skill they keep in their pocket for the rest of their lives.
Here are 5 Ways Writing Supports Youth Mental Health
1. Writing Provides Emotional Release and Coping Skills
Writing gives young people a safe outlet to name feelings that might otherwise stay bottled up. Journaling and expressive writing are proven to reduce stress and symptoms of depression by helping students process difficult emotions and rewrite negative self-talk. Programs like 826 see this every day, but the practice can happen anywhere young people are given time and space to write. A student in our program shares,
“I’ve been journaling about my feelings and how everything is feeling because it’s always been hard for me to put that into words. Writing made me feel better… it clears my head but also fills it with the things I want it to be filled with.”
— Josiah, 13 years old, 826michigan
2. Writing Strengthens Self-Understanding
Reflective writing invites students to explore who they are and what they value. Nearly 94% of 826 students report that writing helps them better understand themselves. When students engage in the practice and see their stories published, they begin to believe they have something worth saying.
Parents notice the change, too:
“Her increased comfort in sharing her thoughts has led her to become emotionally stronger, more open-minded, and confident. At a time when the world seems uncertain, Ayana has used writing to make sense of what is going on around her.”
— Sumaiya, parent of an 826NYC student
3. Writing Builds Empathy and Connection
Creative writing allows students to step into someone else’s shoes—whether that’s a fictional character or a classmate. This practice of perspective-taking builds empathy, a critical skill for forming healthy relationships and reducing isolation. In 826 programs, students improved their ability to express perspective by 5.3%, and 96% of educators observed growth in students’ social-emotional learning. Writing becomes more than self-expression—it’s a way to connect, understand, and feel understood.
4. Writing Creates Safe Spaces and Belonging
Belonging is a critical first step to counteracting the isolation many youth face. Before students can thrive academically or emotionally, they need to feel safe. Writing offers young people a safe way to share their voice and know it matters—whether in a classroom, after-school program, community space, or at home. These environments reduce isolation and build trust. In 826 programs, 93% of students report feeling safe and supported, but the principle is universal: when writing spaces honor student voices, belonging takes root.
5. Writing Fuels Agency and Hope
When students write, they don’t just process what has happened to them—they begin to imagine what could be. From a personal essay to a letter to an elected official, or a published anthology, young people use their words to advocate, influence, and envision change. Writing as a practice of agency and imagination sustains hope, one of the strongest protective factors for mental health.
What Educators and Youth Advocates Can Do
You don’t have to run a writing center to make writing part of your approach to supporting mental health. Here are a few easy ways to start in your lesson planning and space:
- Integrate writing into daily practice with quick journaling or reflection prompts.
- Create safe, welcoming environments where students feel respected and ready to share ideas.
- Celebrate student work—display writing in classrooms, host reading events, or publish collections to boost confidence.
- Partner with local organizations like 826 to connect students with writing mentors and creative opportunities. Find an 826 chapter near you. Don’t have one? We have 826 Digital offering free writing resources and educator tools accessible as well!
- Advocate for funding and professional development that prioritize writing and SEL objectives in your school or program.
Youth mental health is one of the most urgent issues of our time, and writing can be part of the solution. Now is the time to reimagine writing itself—not just as a path to literacy, but as a path to mental health, civic engagement, joy, and creative expression. Now is the time to prioritize it. Imagine a room full of young people—pencils moving across pages, emotions being untangled, self-doubt giving way to self-expression. That’s not just a writing workshop. That’s transformation.
Join us in making writing a lifeline for every young person.
Access 826 National Youth Writing’s resource and educator tool on writing and mental health to learn more.