Schools have a new strategy to address mounting concerns about kids' mental health: meditation.

• Why it matters: Anxiety and depression among kids and teens spiked in the last two decades — fueled by the rise of screens and social media, and further exacerbated by pandemic isolation.
• Kids' mental health is now parents' top concern in Pew Research Center polling, ranked higher than gun violence or drugs and alcohol.

👀 Zoom in: Schools can play a key role by making time for kids to de-stress, and teaching them skills to target that stress. Many are incorporating guided meditations or yoga classes to help students.

Case in point: AP's Sharon Johnson visited Roberta T. Smith Elementary School in Clayton County, Ga., a few days before summer vacation started, and observed third-grade students participating in a meditation routine with breathing exercises and chiming bells.

• After the session, one student told Johnson: "It made me feel peaceful."

🔭 Zoom out: Some studies have looked at how school mindfulness sessions can affect students, Cleveland Clinic notes.

• In one study, children's blood pressure and heart rates were lowered. In another, kids' overall psychological functioning improved.
• It's key to start small so young kids can stick to the habit, Cleveland Clinic recommends. Preschool kids should try a few minutes per day, but teens can go for as long as 45 minutes based on what works for them.

"There are real skills that we can give our teens to make sure that they are coping with some big emotions," CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen told AP.

• Go deeper: Finish Line readers' mindfulness tips.

Lower Manhattan's skyline is reflected as the sun rises in this photo taken from Jersey City, N.J.