The latest CDC look at the youth mental health crisis still shows a grim picture : Shots

The mental health of high school students has deteriorated significantly over the past decade, with only slight improvements from 2021 to 2023.

these are, New report from the Centers for Disease Control and PreventionFeaturing the latest research results Survey on risk behavior of young peopleIt is conducted every two years.

“When it comes to the youth mental health crisis, I don’t think we’re out of the woods by any means.” Kathleen EthierDirector of CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health.

“But we are seeing small but very promising improvements in some key areas,” she added.

For example, from 2021 to 2023, there was an overall decrease in reports of poor mental health.

“A small positive change”

“When we look at persistent sadness and hopelessness, we see a decrease from 42 percent to 40 percent. I think that’s a small decrease, but it’s statistically significant,” Ethier said.

While female students and LGBTQ+ students remain more likely to report feelings of sadness and hopelessness, the proportion of female students reporting this decreased from 57% in 2021 to 53% in 2023.

Similarly, the percentage of Black students who said they had attempted suicide in the past year decreased from 14% to 10% over the two-year period, while the percentage of Black students who said they had made a suicide plan in the past year decreased from 18% to 16%, and among Hispanic students, the percentage decreased from 19% in 2021 to 16% in 2023.

“I am so encouraged by this small positive change,” she wrote. Dr. Vera Feuer via email. She is a child and adolescent psychiatrist and vice president of school mental health at Northwell Health.

And she notes that this is especially encouraging when combined with the latest suicide data showing that youth suicide rates are declining for the first time in years.

These “new positive trends” were also noticeable to psychologists. Mary AlvardFounder of Alvord Baker & Associates.

She also noted the decline in substance use over the past decade highlighted in the report: The percentage of students who reported drinking alcohol dropped from 35% in 2013 to 22% in 2023, while reports of marijuana use dropped from 23% to 17% over the same period. Students who said they had ever abused prescription opioids also dropped from 16% to 10% between 2017 and 2023.

“Sometimes we focus only on what’s going wrong, but I think we need to look at what’s improving as well,” she says, because improvements can provide important insights into solutions that work.

“For me, it’s really important to build hope and develop a sense of what can work,” Alvard says.

National dialogue

Indeed, while the report didn’t explore the potential reasons behind the changing trends, the recent improvement is likely due to efforts to address teen mental health, noted the CDC’s Ethier.

“This is the first time we’re having a national conversation about youth mental health,” Ethier adds. “There’s been a real effort at the federal, state and local levels to make sure young people get the services they need.”

She noted that schools across the U.S. have devoted increased resources to addressing students’ mental health needs since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“And we’ve fielded questions and concerns from parents who feel they are really making an effort to look after their children’s and teens’ mental health.”

This is showing up in fewer kids going to hospitals for mental health emergencies, Feuer wrote. “Hospital visits are down, and school programs are helping families get help before a crisis occurs,” Feuer wrote. “So we are certainly hopeful that we are moving in the right direction.”

Violence and rape

But the report also uncovered some worrying trends, including an increase in reported experiences of violence at school, including being threatened with a weapon or injured at school, and an increase in students missing school due to safety concerns, with girls and LGBTQ+ students more likely to report this.

The survey also found that two in 10 girls reported having been sexually assaulted, and one in 10 said they had been forced into sex.

“It’s very distressing to read about sexual violence and the feeling that school is not safe,” said Alvard, the psychologist. “One of the schools we worked in [in Washington, D.C.] He said there were several closures a month due to threats of violence.

The CDC’s Ethier noted that similar disruptions have been reported in schools across the country since the pandemic began.

“I think young people are coming back from the pandemic isolated from one another, so what we’re seeing is young people acting out in rebellion.”

“Acting out” and aggression can result from “not being able to work through anger issues,” she added.

But Ethier says proven efforts to address student mental health in schools, such as improving mental health literacy, teaching students healthy coping strategies and supporting teacher mental health, can also tackle school violence.

A student’s sense of connectedness at school is just as important: “Making young people feel that other students at school care about them and are concerned about their well-being has been shown to be a really important protective factor,” Ethier says.

If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts or is in crisis, please call or text us. 988 people reached the suicide and crisis lifeline.