High schoolers’ mental health shows small improvement in a US government survey

AP Medical Writer

A government survey shows small signs of improvement in the mental health of U.S. teenagers. But the share of students — particularly girls — who are feeling sad and hopeless remains high. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the report Tuesday. From 2021 to 2023, the portion of high school students who reported feelings of persistent sadness or hopelessness declined from 42% to 40%. The 2023 data is based on responses from more than 20,000 students who were surveyed at school in the spring of 2023. Girls reported slightly less persistent sadness or hopelessness, dropping from 57% to 53%.