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Mental Health Facts

Mental Health Facts

The facts about youth mental health issues.  

A recent youth risk behavior survey found that 42% of students in the U.S. felt persistently sad or hopeless, and 22% had seriously considered attempting suicide.

 

 

These problems were more severe for LGBTQ+ students and female students. 69% of LGBTQ+ students experienced persistent feelings of sadness, and 45% had seriously considered suicide (more than twice the overall rate). 57% of female students had reported persistent feelings of sadness, and 30% had considered suicide. 

Female, American Indian/Alaskan Native and Black students all had higher rates of attempted suicides than the general youth population surveyed.

SOURCE: SAME AS ABOVE

Mental health and substance use

Mental health issues and substance use often co-occur among adolescents. According to data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), students who experienced a major depressive episode within the past year were more than twice as likely as their peers to have used illicit drugs, marijuana, or opioids, or to have engaged in binge drinking. 

Getting prompt diagnosis, counseling and treatment for students with mental health issues is critical in preventing substance use, which many students use as a coping mechanism.