Teen Mental Health in 2023: The Risks, and What Protects Students

Poor mental health among teenagers was already high before COVID-19, and it has kept rising, especially among girls and lesbian, gay, bisexual and questioning (LGBQ+) students. In 2021, suicide was the third leading cause of death among U.S. high school–age youth (14–18): 1,952 deaths, 9.0 per 100,000. CDC's 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey — 20,103 students in grades 9–12 at public and private schools across the 50 states and D.C. — measured how common the risks are and which protective factors go with lower risk.

How many students are struggling

Girls were about twice as likely as boys to report each one. 9th graders attempted suicide more often than 12th graders (10.4% vs 8.0%).

By race and ethnicity, there was no consistent pattern. Compared with White students, Hispanic students reported more sadness or hopelessness (42.4% vs 38.9%) and more suicide attempts (10.8% vs 8.3%), but less poor mental health (26.1% vs 31.4%) and less serious consideration of suicide (18.2% vs 22.1%). Black students reported less poor mental health than White students (26.5% vs 31.4%) but more attempts (10.3% vs 8.3%). Asian students were less likely to have seriously considered suicide (14.4%) than Black, Hispanic, multiracial or White students.

What protects

Every protective factor studied went with a lower rate of at least one risk indicator, after accounting for sex, sexual identity, grade, and race and ethnicity:

Why these may matter

• Sleep is critical to adolescent brain development and emotional regulation, yet many teens get less than the recommended 8 hours. School start times, homework, screens and social media, activities and jobs all deserve study.
• Parental monitoring may reflect better communication and closeness between parents and teens.
• Caring, stable adults help build resilience — especially for young people facing community violence or in foster care.
• Team sports offer friendships and belonging — but cost, time and a lack of inclusive spaces keep some students out.
• Physical activity helps self-esteem, relationships, school and health — yet not everyone has equal access; LGBQ+ students report feeling uncomfortable or unsafe in PE classes and locker rooms.
• Feeling connected to school protects mental health into adulthood — but girls, Black, Hispanic and LGBQ+ students, and students who have faced racism, feel less connected.

Why the gaps

For girls, research points to academic stress, cultural expectations, social media and violence; girls have had higher rates of sadness and suicide risk in every YRBS since at least 2011, and are treated in emergency departments for depression, anxiety and trauma more often than boys. For LGBQ+ students, the stress of rejection, marginalization and discrimination, and trauma from victimization, drive higher risk. The mixed racial and ethnic patterns call for more research and for culturally tailored prevention — including efforts that reduce stigma and encourage seeking help.

Limits

1. The survey is a snapshot: it can show associations, not cause and effect or which came first.
2. Questions cover different time periods, which may affect recall.
3. The protective factors overlap, so their separate effects can't be untangled.
4. The survey doesn't measure household or community income, which can change how protective factors work.

If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the United States.

Sources

Based on Verlenden JV, Fodeman A, Wilkins N, et al., "Mental Health and Suicide Risk Among High School Students and Protective Factors — Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2023," MMWR Supplements volume 73, number 4, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; a work of the United States government in the public domain.