LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Parents may be surprised with how many teen girls suffer.

Feeling persistently sad and hopeless is alarmingly more common for teenage girls.

According to a new report this month from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than half of America's teenage girls — 57% — felt persistently sad or hopeless. That's double the number for boys and a 60% increase in the last decade.

"Things got harder after the pandemic because students fell behind and they felt like they had a lot of making up to do," Jakiyia Lusco said.

Lusco is a high school junior. She started at Pleasure Ridge Park High School (PRP) in 2020, the year the world shut down. She said the pandemic made her feel lonely and disconnected.

"I didn't really get the high school experience, like the switch. It was mostly just like a computer," she said.

She said she was trying to balance that with her part-time job and track practice.

"I was having like a work overload, school overload. Everything was hitting me all at once and I had lost with a close family member," Lusco said.

Lusco ended up in therapy and, two years later, still attends every week.

"It was just a lot and she just takes you and like made everything better," she said.

Lusco is talking about Renesha Martin, co-founder of Martin & Muir Counseling.

"It's a pretty big issue here. It's heartbreaking to see the young girls struggling," Martin said.

Data from a Youth Risk Behavior Survey shows 30% of teenage girls seriously considered attempting suicide in 2021. That's up nearly 60% from a decade ago.

"It's something that I don't think we've ever seen. There's so much negativity in what a woman should be and what a woman should look like. And it's not real," Martin said. "If you know a teen, or if you have one in your household, family friend, give them a hug and just tell them that you love them and hold them a little closer tonight because they are struggling."

Martin said parents should look for red flags. A teen withdrawing from their social activities, friends, or family could mean they're struggling and in need of help.

"It feels really good. She's taught me a lot of coping skills and ways to like, manage my time and my feelings, and what is important and what's not important," Lusco said.

Lusco plans on attending Eastern Kentucky University. She wants to become a counselor and help someone else.

"If there were more resources in school, more people may be involved, and I feel like people's mental health would get better and make PRP a better environment," she said. "It also needs to be offered to the younger generation — maybe elementary school students. Kids don't really feel comfortable sharing things with their parents when they're so young, because they feel like they get in trouble."

In recent years, Jefferson County Public Schools has added mental health professionals at every school. 

If you're interested in learning more about Martin & Muir Counseling, you can call them at (502) 383-2969 or email them at intake@martinandmuir.com. Their office is located at 801 Barret Ave. in Louisville.

"It's just as important as our physical health. It's something that we should treat the same. You know, if we're having symptoms that are related to COVID, you know, not feeling well, headaches, chills, things like that, we'll go to the doctor," said Martin. "But when it comes to our mental health, you know, we have intrusive thoughts, you know, thoughts about hurting ourselves or someone else. We don't treat it the same. And, I want us to end the stigma of you know, mental health and treating it the same and being able to get the same help and support."

The CDC said they've collected and analyzed data on youth health and wellbeing for more than three decades.

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