NEW
YORK, Aug. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released its Youth Risk
Behavior Survey Data Summary & Trends Report: 2013–2023, which
provides data on health behaviors and experiences of high school
students in the United States.
This report highlights students' behaviors and experiences in 2023,
changes from 2021 to 2023, and 10-year trends.
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), a leading
suicide prevention organization, releases the following statement
regarding the CDC's data:
The recent findings from the CDC underscore the continuing and
critical need to prioritize youth mental health and suicide
prevention efforts. At AFSP, our work to support youth mental
health consists of prevention strategies that range from research
to inform our work, community education, promoting opportunities
for connection, and advocacy for healthcare level efforts. The
improvements from 2021-2023 offer a glimmer of hope and show that
change is possible, but the decade-long trends in the report remind
us of the ongoing challenges and complexities in suicide prevention
efforts.
According to the report, from 2021 to 2023, there were
decreases in:
- The percentage of female students who felt persistently sad or
hopeless (from 57% to 53%), and who seriously considered attempting
suicide (from 30% to 27%).
- The percentage of Hispanic students who felt persistently sad
or hopeless (from 46% to 42%), who experienced poor mental health
(from 30% to 26%), who seriously considered attempting suicide
(from 22% to 18%), and who made a suicide plan (from 19% to
16%).
- The percentage of Black students who attempted suicide (from
14% to 10%) and who were injured in a suicide attempt (from 4% to
2%).
Other noteworthy findings:
- Nearly all measures of poor mental health and suicidal
thoughts and behaviors have worsened from 2013 to 2023. This
includes a rise in the percentage of students reporting persistent
feelings of sadness or hopelessness, those seriously considering
suicide, planning suicide, and attempting suicide.
- There are continuing disparities across groups of youth. In
2023, LGBTQ, American Indian/Alaska Native and female students were
more likely to experience persistent feelings of sadness or
hopelessness, poor mental health, and suicidal thoughts and
behaviors. LGBTQ youth are more likely to experience all forms
of violence; differences in mental health compared to peers are
substantial. More than 3 in 5 LGBTQ students experienced persistent
feelings of sadness or hopelessness and 1 in 5 attempted suicide
during the past year.
- Two in 10 students seriously considered attempting suicide
and nearly 1 in 10 students reported attempting suicide in
2023. Based on national CDC mortality data, in 2022, suicide
rates among adolescents and young adults aged 15 to 24 decreased by
10% from 15.2 to 13.6 and we hope this trend continues.
Note: The data do not explain the differences by
race, gender, sexual orientation and their intersections or
continued higher levels of poorer mental health and suicidal
thoughts and attempts.
Each of us has a role in supporting the mental well-being of
those around us. We encourage parents, teachers, coaches, community
leaders and health professionals to review and share these
resources to learn how they can help youth and teens with mental
health and suicide prevention.
- How to Help: AFSP's tips for what to do when you
are worried someone is at risk for suicide.
- School Resources: There is a strong correlation between
students who feel more connected in school environments and their
academic performance and mental health. Building schools' capacity
to support student mental health is imperative, AFSP has a
multitude of school resources for students, parents and
administrators to build positive mental health in school
communities such as the Model District School Policy for Suicide
Prevention, It's Real program for youth and More Than Sad for
parents and educators.
- Campaigns for Youth: In partnership with the Ad Council,
AFSP's Seize the Awkward campaign "We Can Talk About It"
encourages young people to push past pervasive taboos,
misconceptions and negative attitudes about mental health and reach
out to a friend who may be struggling.
- Advocacy: Protective actions like increasing acceptance
and affirmation of LGBTQ identities, reducing anti-LGBTQ prejudice,
and increasing access to LGBTQ-affirming physical and mental health
care reduce the likelihood of LGBTQ youth suicidal thoughts and
promote wellbeing. Join our efforts in ensuring positive and
affirming school environments for all students here.
- Healthcare Efforts: The American Academy of Pediatrics
(AAP) and AFSP, in collaboration with experts from the National
Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), created this Blueprint for Youth
Suicide Prevention as an educational resource to support pediatric
health clinicians and other health professionals in identifying and
advancing equitable youth suicide prevention strategies in all
settings where youth live, learn, work, and spend time.
We encourage media to consider these ethical reporting
recommendations to minimize hopelessness and to increase
help-seeking when covering this news and topics related to
suicide.
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is dedicated
to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide,
including those who have experienced a loss. AFSP creates a culture
that's smart about mental health through public education and
community programs, develops suicide prevention through research
and advocacy, and provides support for those affected by suicide.
Led by CEO Robert Gebbia and
headquartered in New York, with a
public policy office in Washington,
D.C., AFSP has local chapters in all 50 states, D.C. and
Puerto Rico, with programs and
events nationwide. Learn more about AFSP in its latest Annual
Report and join the conversation on suicide prevention by following
AFSP on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and
TikTok.
Media interested in commenting on this news are encouraged to
fill out this press request form and review AFSP's Ethical
Reporting Tips.
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SOURCE American Foundation for Suicide Prevention