Researchers in CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health compared data from the 2021 and 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Conducted every two years among a nationally representative sample of U.S. high school students, the survey captures demographic data while also asking the students about their health behaviors and conditions, substance use, and experiences such as school connectedness, unstable housing, and exposure to community violence.
Worsening trends from 2021 to 2023 centered on violence and safety concerns and include:
- Increases in the percentage of students who were bullied at school (from 15% to 19%).
- Increases in the percentage of students who missed school because of safety concerns either at school or on the way to school (from 9% to 13%).
- Increases in the percentage of students who were threatened or injured with a weapon at school (from 7% to 9%).
Female and LGBTQ+ high school students were more likely than their peers to report concerns of violence. Nearly 3 in 10 LGBTQ+ students were bullied at school, while nearly 2 in 10 missed school because of safety concerns.
Key improvements to youth mental health from 2021 to 2023 include:
- Decreases in the percentage of students who experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness (from 42% to 40%).
- Decreases in the percentage of female students who experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness (from 57% to 53%) and who seriously considered attempting suicide (from 30% to 27%).
- Decreases in the percentage of Hispanic students who felt persistently sad or hopeless (from 46% to 42%) and who seriously considered attempting suicide (from 22% to 18%).
- Decreases in the percentage of Black students who attempted suicide (from 14% to 10%).
- Decreases in the percentage of students who used illicit substances such as cocaine, inhalants, heroin, methamphetamines, hallucinogens, or ecstasy (from 13% to 10%).
- Decreases in the percentage of students who currently misused prescription opioids (from 6% to 4%).
“These data show that we’ve made some progress in tackling these issues in recent years, which proves that they are not insurmountable. However, there’s still much work ahead,” CDC Division of Adolescent and School Health Director Kathleen Ethier, Ph.D., said in a statement. “Considering the vital role schools play in promoting health and well-being, it is critical to address school-based violence and safety concerns.”
For related info, see the Psychiatric News article, “Stages Preceding School Violence Offer Critical Points of Intervention.”
(Image: Getty Images/iStock/Daniel de la Hoz)
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