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Sadness and Suicidal Behavior Among Teenagers Is Declining, C.D.C. Finds
The New York Times • • health
Key Points:
- Teenage mental health in the U.S. has significantly improved in 2025, with reductions in persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and suicidal thoughts compared to the peak levels in 2021, according to the CDC's Youth Risk Behavior Survey.
- Despite these improvements, 33% of high school students still reported persistent sadness or hopelessness, and 14% seriously considered suicide in the past year, with girls and LGBTQ+ teens remaining particularly vulnerable.
- Psychologist Jean Twenge highlighted that the declines in depression and suicidal thoughts are notable and represent a sustained positive trend beyond the pandemic period.
- The CDC survey, conducted biennially since 1991, had shown increasing rates of mental health issues among teenagers since 2011, corroborated by other data sources such as clinical depression diagnoses and emergency room visits for self-harm.
