WASHINGTON, D.C. — Mental health measures among U.S. high school students improved substantially from 2023 to 2025, with the share seriously considering suicide falling to 14% from 20% even as sleep, physical activity and risky digital behaviors remained persistent concerns, according to new data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC’s Youth Health in Focus report draws on national Youth Risk Behavior Survey data from 2023 through 2025 and examines longer-term trends dating to 2015. The report covers dietary behaviors, physical activity, sleep, digital behaviors, and mental health and suicide risk.
Persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness fell to 33% of high school students in 2025 from 40% in 2023. The share reporting poor mental health declined to 23% from 29%, while the percentage seriously considering suicide dropped six percentage points to 14%.
“These are meaningful improvements, and they show that progress is possible when schools, families, and communities work together to support young people,” said Dr. Jennifer Shuford, the CDC’s deputy director and chief medical officer.
Dietary measures also improved. Daily fruit consumption increased to 39% from 33%, while daily vegetable consumption rose to 63% from 58%.
The share of students drinking plain water at least three times a day increased to 58% from 54%.
Sports participation climbed as well, with 58% of students reporting that they played on a sports team in 2025, up from 52% two years earlier.
Those gains did not extend broadly across physical activity. Daily physical activity, muscle-strengthening activity and the share of students meeting recommended activity guidelines were unchanged, while fewer students attended physical education classes daily.
Sleep remained another weak point. About 24% of students reported getting at least eight hours of sleep on an average school night in 2025, little changed from 23% in 2023.
Digital behavior measures also showed little movement. About 36% of students reported using social media at least hourly in 2025, compared with 37% when the CDC began measuring the behavior in 2023.
Among students who had driven during the previous month, 46% reported texting or emailing while driving in 2025, compared with 42% in 2023.
“At the same time, too many students are still struggling with daily health behaviors that can negatively affect their long-term health,” Shuford said.
The Youth Risk Behavior Survey has tracked health-related behaviors among U.S. high school students for more than 35 years. The CDC uses the nationally representative data to identify emerging health issues and inform prevention and school health programs.
The full 2025 dataset, Youth Health in Focus report and supporting materials are available at www.cdc.gov/yrbs.
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