Student mental health appears to be bouncing back even as bullying increases and safety concerns keep more teens out of school.
The latest data from the CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey show that slightly fewer teens in 2023 reported persistent sadness or hopelessness, compared to two years prior. There was an even bigger decline among female students, fewer of whom reported seriously considering suicide.
There were also decreases in the number of Black and Hispanic students who reported persistent sadness or hopelessness, poor mental health and thoughts of suicide. The CDC’s chief medical officer, Debra Houry, called the developments “progress we can build on.”
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“These data show that we’ve made some progress in tackling these issues in recent years, which proves that they are not insurmountable,” added Kathleen Ethier, director of the CDC’s division of adolescent and school health. “However, there’s still much work ahead. Considering the vital role schools play in promoting health and well-being, it is critical to address school-based violence and safety concerns.”
Indeed, the report showed more students were absent because they were concerned about safety at school or on the way to school. More students also reported being bullied or threatened or injured with a weapon at their school, the report warned.
Here are key student mental health changes from 2021 to 2023. The percentage of:
- Students who experienced persistent sadness or hopelessness decreased from 42% to 40%.
- Female students who experienced persistent sadness or hopelessness fell from 57% to 53%
- Female students who seriously considered attempting suicide dropped from 30% to 27%.
- Hispanic students who felt persistently sad or hopeless declined from 46% to 42% and seriously considered attempting suicide decreased from 22% to 18%.
- Black students who attempted suicide dropped from 14% to 10%.
- Students threatened or injured with a weapon at school increased from 7% to 9%.
- Students bullied at school rose from 15% to 19%.
- Students who missed school because of safety concerns at school or on the way to school grew from 9% to 13%.
