Includes bibliographical references (pages 253-297) and index.

Intro: We just wanted happy kids -- Iatrogenesis -- A crisis in the era of therapy -- Bad therapy -- Therapy goes airborne -- Social emotional meddling -- The schools are filled with shadows (accommodation and avoidance) -- Trauma, trauma everywhere! -- Hunting, fishing, mining : mental health survey mischief -- Full of empathy and mean as Hell -- The road paved by gentle parents -- Spare the rod, drug the child -- This will be our final session -- Spoons out.

In virtually every way that can be measured, Gen Z's mental health is worse than that of previous generations. In this book Abigail Shrier argues that the problem isn't the kids, it's the mental health experts. Drawing on hundreds of interviews with child psychologists, parents, teachers, and young people, Shrier explores the ways the mental health industry has transformed the way we teach, treat, discipline, and even talk to our kids. She argues that most of the therapeutic approaches have serious side effects and few proven benefits.