CDC reports shifting trends in US adolescent mental health and wellness

Recent analyses of the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) data reveal shifting trends in American adolescent mental health and wellness. A new CDC report, titled “Youth Health in Focus,” indicates that between 2023 and 2025, mental health symptoms such as persistent sadness and depression dropped from 40% to 33%, while serious consideration of suicide decreased from 20% to 14%. The report also noted improvements in dietary habits, including increased daily fruit and vegetable consumption.

However, the CDC report has faced criticism for its new structural format, which focuses on five specific areas—diet, physical activity, sleep, digital behaviors, and mental health—while omitting data on substance use, sexual behaviors, and exposure to violence. Critics argue this omission provides an incomplete view of teenage risks.

Separately, research presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics conference utilized joinpoint regression analysis of data from 1991 to 2021 to identify long-term trends. This study found that adolescent mental health indicators, including suicidal ideation, saw a significant turning point around 2009–2010. While suicidal ideation had declined for nearly two decades prior, it began to increase following that inflection point.