CDC Survey On Youth Mental Health Shows Need For More Improvement, Officials Say

Federal health officials say a new report highlights that more work needs to be done to address the mental health crisis among young people in the US.

The CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey looks at the health behaviors and experiences of high school students from around the country over a decade.

"The crisis of mental health among young people is still very much part of their lives," says Kathleen Ethier, PhD, CDC Division of Adolescent and School Health Director. "But at the same time, we're seeing glimmers of hope. We're seeing some areas of where we've been very concerned, particularly for girls, for Black youth, where we're seeing improvements."

Comparing data from 2021 and 2023, the report shows decreases in the percentage of girls who say they experience depressive symptoms as well as Black youth who attempted suicide in the past year.

"I think some of it is coming out of the pandemic and reconnecting young people to the sources of support in their communities, and in their schools," Ethier says. "And then some part of it is over the last couple of years at the federal level, at the state level, at the local level, people have really come together to address this issue."

The report also highlights some concerning increases, including more teens experiencing high levels of violence in school.

"About 16% of girls and almost 20% of LGBTQ+ students said they didn't go to school in the last year because they were concerned about their safety either on the way to school or at school," Ethier says. "That kind of level of feeling unsafe has to be having an impact on mental health and wellbeing."

The CDC says its “What Works in Schools Program” can help prevent some of these adolescent health risks by improving health education, connecting teens to services, and making environments safer and more supportive.

The CDC also released a school mental health action guide last year, which has received over 100,000 hits on the website as communities and schools try to find ways to address this ongoing crisis.