NBC News
As families across the country prepare for the return to school, there is promising news about teen mental health: Girls seem to be feeling a little better.
The percentage of young adolescents who reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness fell from 57% to 53% in 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Youth Risk Behavior Survey.
They are also less likely to attempt suicide. In 2023, 27% of young women surveyed had seriously considered ending their lives, compared to 30% in 2021.
“These data show that we have made some progress in addressing these problems in recent years, demonstrating that they are not insurmountable,” said Kathleen Ethier, director of the CDC’s division of adolescent and school health, in a statement.
Just a year ago, the CDC reported that teenage girls were experiencing an unprecedented wave of sadness and trauma, with many saying they were unable to carry out their usual activities, such as schoolwork or sports.
The new findings, which include input from more than 20,000 students across the country, offer a glimmer of hope after years of declining mental health among young women, especially since the coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s always encouraging when fewer children report experiencing persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness,” said Ellen Rome, chief of adolescent medicine at Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital. “But the numbers are still overwhelmingly high and should prompt reflection, concern and action.”
Female students still struggle more than their male peers, the report found. Anisha Abraham, chief of the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine at Children’s National in Washington, DC, stressed that “the fact is that half of the female students surveyed still experience persistent feelings of sadness or helplessness.”
Even after those slight improvements in mental health, Gary Maslow, a professor of pediatrics at Duke University, added, “It’s a toss-up.” “Imagine being in a high school classroom of 20 boys with 10 girls, and half of them have been thinking about suicide,” he said.
The more positive results for girls were tempered by the increase in students who reported school violence. The percentage who said they felt threatened at school increased from 7% to 9% from 2021 to 2023. And the percentage of men who said they felt harassed at school rose from 15% to 19%.
The emotional toll was greater for students who do not identify as heterosexual. LGBTQ high school students reported higher rates of violence, poor mental health, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors than their peers.
By 2023, nearly three in 10 LGBTQ students were bullied at school, and two in 10 attempted suicide.
If you or someone you know may be at risk, to the number from the suicide prevention line, which offers free support, and confidential 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
