CDC Youth Survey Showed Improved Teen Mental Health
High schoolers reported increased sports participation and lower levels of persistent sadness in 2025.
Updated on Sept. 21, 2026 in Teens
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published the 2025 Youth Risk Behavior Survey on September 22, 2025, revealing notable shifts in student wellness. The report highlights improvements in both nutrition and sports involvement among high schoolers nationwide.
Why it matters
These trends are significant as they align with national health initiatives connecting chronic disease prevention to reduced sedentary lifestyles and improved mental well-being. Understanding these patterns helps families gauge the evolving pressures on high school students today.
Sports participation among high school students rose to 58% in 2025 compared to 52% in 2023. Additionally, reports of persistent sadness or hopelessness among high school girls fell to 43% in 2025, down from a 2021 peak of 57%.
The players
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The federal agency responsible for conducting national health surveillance to inform public policy and family health initiatives.
The details
The CDC gathered this national data by querying high school students through a comprehensive survey process. The 2025 iteration notably expanded its scope to include questions regarding transgender identity, reflecting a broader look at student health. These findings allow researchers to track how dietary habits and physical activity levels correlate with the reported mental health trends.
Timeline
2021: Persistent sadness in girls peaked at 57%.
2023: Data collection period for previous survey iteration.
2025: Data collection period for current survey.
September 22, 2025: CDC published the 2025 survey results.
The Home Front
This data provides a national baseline for understanding how student wellness has evolved in the wake of recent public health challenges. It mirrors established institutional efforts to monitor the intersection of digital media consumption and physical activity in adolescent development.
Families can use these national findings to facilitate conversations with their high schoolers about balancing social media use with physical activity. It may also be a helpful time to review local extracurricular opportunities that encourage team sports participation.
The takeaway
The data suggests a positive shift in student well-being that families can support by encouraging consistent physical activity. Consider discussing screen time boundaries and the benefits of joining a school-sponsored team as part of your family's routine check-ins.
Further reading
For more on adolescent health trends, visit the Teens section of our site.
Live Poll
Should federal teen health reports focus primarily on nutrition and physical activity?
