Summary

“The Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary & Trends Report provides data on health behaviors and experiences of high school students in the United States. Data highlight students’ behaviors and experiences in 2023, changes from 2021 to 2023, and 10-year trends. The report focuses on:

Key Findings

• In 2023, female students and LGBTQ+ students experienced more violence, signs of poor mental health, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors than their male and cisgender and heterosexual peers.
• From 2021 to 2023, there were early signs that adolescent mental health is getting better. There were also concerning increases in students’ experiences of violence at school.
• From 2013 to 2023, 10-year trends were similar to what data showed in 2021. There were decreases in students’ use of substances. There were increases in students’ experiences of violence, signs of poor mental health, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Students’ sexual activity decreased, but so did their protective sexual behaviors, like condom use.”

Executive summary

The Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary
& Trends Report: 2013–2023 provides the most
recent surveillance data, as well as 10-year
trends and 2-year changes in health behaviors
and experiences of high school students in
the United States (U.S.). The report focuses on
adolescents’ sexual behavior, substance use,
experiences of violence, mental health, and
suicidal thoughts and behaviors. It also includes
data on topics, such as social media use and
reported experiences of racism in school, that
are important for understanding and improving
young people’s health and well-being.

This report is developed by the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Division
of Adolescent and School Health (DASH) to
highlight the national Youth Risk Behavior Survey
(YRBS) data collected every two years among
a nationally representative sample of U.S. high
school students.

YBRS data from 2021, and the 10 years before,
showed that a large and growing number of
adolescents experienced indicators of poor
mental health and suicidal thoughts and
behaviors. Data also highlighted that female
students and students who identify as lesbian,
gay, bisexual, questioning, or another

nonheterosexual identity experienced higher levels
of violence, substance use, poor mental health,
and suicidal thoughts and behaviors than their
male and heterosexual peers. In 2023 data,
we continue to see these disparities, and the
percentages of students who experienced
poor mental health and suicidal thoughts and
behaviors are still concerningly high. But there
are also some signs of progress.

The summary in the full report highlights continuing
concerns and signs of progress from the most
recent YRBS data collected in 2023. The body of
the report provides more detail and findings.

KEY FINDINGS ON TRENDS AND
2-YEAR CHANGES

As shown in previous reports, 10-year trends
are continuing to improve for some areas of
adolescent health and well-being, including
sexual risk behaviors (i.e., ever and current
sexual activity and having four or more lifetime
sexual partners) and substance use (i.e.,
ever used select illicit drugs, ever misused
prescription opioids, current alcohol use, and
current marijuana use).

Unfortunately, the data show that from
2013 to 2023, almost all other indicators
of health and well-being in this report
worsened. Data highlight worsening
trends in protective sexual behaviors,
experiences of violence, persistent
sadness or hopelessness, and suicidal
thoughts and behaviors.

In some areas, for example being threatened or
injured with a weapon at school and not going to
school because of safety concerns, the percentage
of students having these negative experiences
increased over the last 10 years (2013–2023)
and most recently (2021–2023). Although the
percentage of students who experienced bullying
at school decreased overall from 2013 to 2023,
the percentage increased from 2021 to 2023. This
pattern, with a decrease in 2021, may be a result of
fewer students being in school during the pandemic.

In several areas, trends moved in
the wrong direction, but there were
improvements between 2021 and 2023.
While still early, these areas of progress
are promising.

For example, experiences of forced sex and
sexual violence have increased during the years
trends were measured, but between 2021 and
2023, they were stable. Although the percentage
of students who experienced sexual violence or
forced sex is still concerning, the most recent
changes did not show an increase. Between
2013 and 2023, the percentage of students
who felt persistently sad or hopeless increased,
continuing an increasing trend we have seen in
previous years. However, there was a decrease in
this experience among students between 2021
and 2023. This is good news.

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Source

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)