New CDC Report Offers Glimpse at Trends in Youth Mental Health

New data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers a mixed assessment of youth mental health, finding improvement in some key areas of concern and decline in others. 

The Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary & Trends Report: 2013-2023, released last week, compares data collected in 2023 with findings from the same study over the past decade, showing trends for the past 10 years, as well as more recent developments. 

In one finding, the percentage of students who felt persistently sad or hopeless grew from 30% in 2013 to 40% in 2023. But it has decreased slightly since 2021, when it peaked at 42%. Female students consistently report higher rates of sadness and hopelessness than male students (53% vs. 28% in the most recent survey), but rates dropped for female students from 2021 to 2023 (57% to 53%). 

On the other hand, bullying at school remained relatively constant over the decade from 2013 to 2023, decreasing slightly from 20% to 19%. School bullying temporarily dropped to 15% in 2021  — perhaps because fewer students were in school during the early part of the pandemic.

“Surveillance systems like the Youth Risk Behavior Survey help us to understand the statistics we’re seeing about youth mental health in a historical context,” said Dr. Laura Erickson-Schroth, Chief Medical Officer at The Jed Foundation (JED). “The pandemic was a difficult time for young people across the country, and the data shows us that there were other forces negatively affecting young people’s mental health even before the pandemic began. It’s a good sign that students’ mental health is recovering, and we need to continue to support policies and programs that will push the numbers lower.”

Other highlights of the report include:

• High school students are less likely to be having sex, drinking, and using drugs than they were in 2013.
• Female and LGBTQ+ students continue to experience higher levels of violence, substance use, poor mental health, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors than male and cisgender heterosexual students. 
• American Indian/Alaska Native youth are more likely than other racial and ethnic groups to report feeling persistently sad or hopeless, experiencing poor mental health, seriously considering attempting suicide, and making a suicide plan.
• Latinx students were less likely to report poor mental health and suicidal thoughts and behaviors compared with 2021.
• The percentage of Black students who reported they attempted suicide or were injured in a suicide attempt decreased since 2021.

The 2021 and 2023 surveys also asked about some important issues that were not included in earlier versions of the study. These include:

• Racism in school: Almost a third of students reported facing racism at school, with Asian students (57%) and Black students (46%) the most likely to report experiencing it. 
• Unfair discipline in school: Black (23%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (32%) students reported more so than other groups being unfairly disciplined in school.

The data also shows that some groups feel less of a sense of connection at school than others do. In particular, female and LGBTQ+ students reported they are less likely to feel close to people at school (compared with male students and cisgender, heterosexual peers, respectively), and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students are the least likely of any group to feel connection at school. 

“Belonging is essential to the human experience,” said Dr. Erickson-Schroth. “One of the most important things we can do to support young people is to help them find community.” 

Creating connection and community is one of nine steps to preventing youth suicide recommended in JED’s report Youth Suicide: Current Trends and the Path to Prevention. To achieve this, the report calls for designing inclusive school climates that value social acceptance, creating opportunities for young people to socialize with each other while exploring their identities and interests, and encouraging youth to volunteer, engage in advocacy work, or find other ways to give back to their communities. 

To counter the negative trends in youth mental health, Dr. Erickson-Schroth said adults should work to better understand the reasons young people have trouble seeking out help, which are different than in the past. 

A recent JED study, Unraveling the Stigma: Exploring Barriers to Mental Health Support Among U.S. Teens, found teens today are less likely than they were in the past to be ashamed or embarrassed about seeking help for mental health concerns. Teens today often worry that the adults will not understand them or will jump immediately into problem-solving mode instead of listening empathetically. 

Dr. Erickson-Schroth advised parents and caregivers to address the topics of mental health and suicide directly with their children.

“Importantly, it’s OK to say suicide,” she said. “Many people worry that talking about suicide will make things worse or give someone ideas. Research shows the opposite — bringing up suicide with someone who is thinking about it typically provides a sense of relief and increases the likelihood that they will seek out help.” 

Schools also have a key role to play in safeguarding and improving youth mental health, especially considering how much time young people spend there. In a separate Action Guide for School and District Leaders, the CDC offered six strategies:

• Increasing students’ mental health literacy
• Promoting mindfulness
• Promoting social, emotional, and behavioral learning
• Enhancing connectedness
• Providing psychosocial skills training and cognitive behavioral interventions
• Supporting staff well-being

“The most important step schools can take is to utilize a comprehensive approach to address student mental health, ensuring that they don’t miss important chances to intervene,” said Dr. Erickson-Schroth. “It’s heartening to see that school leaders throughout the country are raising their hands to do this work.”

In addition to its work with schools and community organizations, JED offers resources for teens and young adults, parents and caregivers, and educators, including:

• It’s OK to Say Suicide Resource Hub
• Mental Health Resource Center
• What Are the Warning Signs of Suicide?
• How to Tell Someone You Are Thinking About Suicide