Fewer Young People Report Wanting To Commit Suicide, Reversing A Near Decade-Long Trend

The Centers for Disease Control detailed that the mental health of young people improved over the from 2023 to 2025, with fewer high school students reporting suicidal ideation.

The CDC has conducted the National Youth Risk Behavior Survey for 35 years. It tracks a variety of health and well-being issues, including physical activity, mental health, and dietary habits.

The survey tracked data over ten years, from 2015 to 2025, and over the last two years. Although trends worsened for much of the 10-year period, they reversed over the past two years.

In 2025, the number of high school students reporting suicidal thoughts dropped to 14 percent, a ten-year low. The worst year reported over the time period was 2021, when 21 percent reported suicidal ideation.

Students reporting persistent feelings of sadness or unhappiness also declined to 33 percent, the lowest since 2015. The high point in the category was in 2021 when it reached 42 percent.

"These are meaningful improvements, and they show that progress is possible when schools, families, and communities work together to support young people," said Dr. Jennifer Shuford, MD, MPH, CDC's deputy director and chief medical officer. "At the same time, too many students are still struggling with daily health behaviors that can negatively affect their long-term health."

Overall, five key indicators of mental health improved over the last two years among high school students: Experiencing persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, experiencing poor mental health, seriously considering attempting suicide, making a suicide plan, and attempting suicide.

"Ninth grade students were more likely than 12th grade students to make a suicide plan and more likely than 11th and 12th grade students to attempt suicide," the report noted.

Not all of the information was positive.

The survey noted that only about 24 percent of students got at least 8 hours of sleep on an average school night in 2025. That figure is largely unchanged from 2023, when 23 percent of respondents reported getting 8 hours of sleep. "Insufficient sleep is linked to poor mental health, difficulty concentrating, and risky behaviors such as not wearing a seat belt or texting while driving," the report stated.

The number of students who used social media every hour changed little over the last two years, with 36 percent reporting they did so. In 2023, the figure was 37 percent. More concerning was that 46 percent of high school students reported that they had texted or emailed while driving in the last month.

"Digital behaviors can influence many aspects of health, including sleep, physical activity, nutrition, safety, and mental well-being," the report stated.