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The latest Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that nearly three in five (57%) teen girls in the United States felt persistently sad or hopeless in 2021, which is double the percentage for teen boys. This represents a nearly 60% increase and is the highest level reported over the past decade. The data also reveals that while all teens reported increasing mental health challenges, experiences of violence, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors, girls fared worse than boys across almost all measures. The survey confirms ongoing and extreme distress among teens who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or questioning (LGBQ+).
The analysis includes 2021 data and trends from the YRBS, which examines health behaviors and experiences among U.S. high school students. Youth mental health has continued to worsen—with particularly stark increases in widespread reports of harmful experiences among teen girls.
According to the survey, nearly one in three (30%) seriously considered attempting suicide, which is up nearly 60% from a decade ago. Also, one in five (18%) experienced sexual violence in the past year, an increase of 20% since 2017, when the CDC started monitoring this measure. More than one in ten (14%) had ever been forced to have sex, which is up 27% since 2019 and the first increase since the CDC began monitoring this measure. The survey also found that over half (52%) of LGBQ+ students had recently experienced poor mental health, and more than one in five (22%) attempted suicide in the past year.
Findings by race and ethnicity also show high and worsening levels of persistent sadness or hopelessness across all racial and ethnic groups, and reported suicide attempts increased among Black youth and White youth.
The report highlights the urgent need for support for teens to cope, hope, and thrive. Proven school prevention programs can offer teens a vital lifeline in these growing waves of trauma. School-based activities can make a profound difference in the lives of teens with a relatively small infusion of support to schools. More than 95% of U.S. youth spend much of their daily lives in school. While their primary goal is academic learning, schools can take evidence-based steps to foster the knowledge, skills and support needed to help prevent and reduce the negative impact of violence and other trauma and improve mental health.
The CDC has collected and analyzed data on youth health and well-being for more than three decades. These data are a critical first step to revealing, understanding, and addressing emerging threats to the health and well-being of the nation’s youth. With the right programs and services in place, schools have the unique ability to help our youth flourish. It is important to act with urgency and compassion to support young people who are experiencing a level of distress that calls for immediate attention.
