Teens’ overall mental health getting better but crisis not over: CDC

Aug 7

Lauren Taylor Anchor

By Lauren Taylor (Anchor), Shea Taylor (Producer), Jake Maslo (Video Editor)

The mental health of high school students has improved slightly in recent years, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). However, a share of students still reported feeling sad and hopeless — especially female students.

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The CDC conducts its youth risk behavior survey every two years. Between 2021 and 2023, overall reports of poor mental health went down slightly from 42% to 40%. While that may not sound like much, the director of the CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health said it is “statistically significant.”

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While girls and LGBTQ+ students are still more likely to report feelings of sadness and hopelessness, the percentage of girls who said they felt that way dropped from 57% in 2021 to 53% in 2023.

The survey also found 20% of teens said they had seriously considered suicide and 9% said they had attempted it. That number is down from a high of 10% in 2021, but still higher than the 8% reported a decade ago.

The survey also found substance abuse is down among teens, as well.

Tags: CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mental health, Suicide, Teen girls, teenagers

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

THE MENTAL HEALTH OF HIGH SCHOOLS STUDENTS HAS IMPROVED SLIGHTLY IN RECENT YEARS – ACCORDING TO A NEW CDC STUDY – BUT EXPERTS SAY WE’RE NOT OUT OF THE WOODS YET.

THE CDC CONDUCTS ITS YOUTH RISK BEHAVIOR SURVEY EVERY TWO YEARS.

IT FOUND BETWEEN 2021 AND 2023…

OVERALL REPORTS OF POOR MENTAL HEALTH WENT DOWN SLIGHTLY… FROM 42 PERCENT TO 40 PERCENT.

WHILE THAT MAY NOT SOUND LIKE MUCH – THE DIRECTOR OF THE C-D-C’S DIVISION OF ADOLESCENT AND SCHOOL HEALTH SAYS IT IS “STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT.”

AND WHILE GIRLS AND LGBTQ+ STUDENTS ARE STILL MORE LIKELY TO REPORT FEELINGS OF SADNESS AND HOPELESSNESS – THE PERCENTAGE OF GIRLS WHO SAID THEY FELT THAT WAY DROPPED FROM 57 PERCENT IN 2021… TO 53 PERCENT IN 2023.

THE SURVEY ALSO FOUND 20 PERCENT OF TEENS SAID THEY’D SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED SUICIDE…

AND 9 PERCENT SAID THEY HAD ATTEMPTED IT.

THAT’S DOWN FROM A HIGH OF 10 PERCENT IN 2021, BUT STILL HIGHER THAN THE 8 PERCENT REPORTED A DECADE AGO.

ADDITIONALLY – THE SURVEY ALSO FOUND SUBSTANCE IS ABUSE IS DOWN AMONG TEENS, AS WELL.