Eunji Ryu, a high school volunteer at a Portland teen crisis call center, doesn’t fear talking to peers about their feelings of anxiety or depression. Struggles with belonging, loneliness and identity have been ever-present amongst high schoolers, she says, especially after two years of COVID-19 isolation.
Ryu works at YouthLine, where teens speak directly with others their age who phone or text with worries about depression, anxiety and other mental health.