Free Online Mental Health Course for Teens, and Additional Free Courses for Parents of Teens

2026 data from the U.S. Center of Disease Control indicate that nearly 30% to 40% of U.S. high school students report feeling persistently sad or hopeless, with the CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey also reporting that about 20% of high school students seriously considered attempting suicide and approximately 9% attempted suicide. The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on Protecting Youth Mental Health has similarly warned that symptoms of depression and anxiety among young people have increased, with pandemic-era estimates showing one in four youth experiencing elevated depressive symptoms and one in five experiencing elevated anxiety symptoms. These statistics underscore the importance of early support, trusted adult connection, and practical tools that help teenagers manage stress, emotions, relationships, school demands, and future planning. Caseworkers and youth-serving professionals are encouraged to connect teens and their families to free, accessible mental health and wellness resources, including courses, crisis supports, counseling referrals, and community-based programs.

Yale Psychology Professor Dr. Laurie Santos offers an online 6-week course designed to help teens make wiser choices and live a life that’s happier and more fulfilling. In this course, teens explore what the field of psychology teaches about how to be happier, how to feel less stressed, and how to thrive in high school and beyond. The lessons along with short weekly homework assignments about happiness prepare teens to put scientific findings into practice.

The goal of the course is for teens to feel better and build healthier habits. Parents, teachers, and other professionals supporting teenagers may also find the course beneficial. Course enrollment is ongoing and self-paced, so you can start course work whenever works best with your schedule. The syllabus of the course is available online and indicates approximately 2 hours of classwork per week, consisting of videos and assignments. There are 12 total hours of content, though course deadlines can be reset in accordance with one’s personal schedule. An email address is required to register.

There is also a course for parents of teens, which has 8 hours of content, aimed to support personal development with skills in emotional intelligence, working with children, family support, stress management, self-awareness, positivity, time management, meditation & breathwork. The registration for parents is available online.

Dr. Santos has won numerous awards from institutions such as Yale and the American Psychological Association for both her science and teaching. You can visit the course website to learn more and sign up.

You can find more resources related to youth development by selecting “youth development” from the dropdown tab on our Social Service “Utilization Library” page.