A new study presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics conference highlights a reversal in progress on adolescent mental health since 2009, with rising suicidal thoughts, attempts, and sadness amid complex social changes.
Recent CDC survey data suggest teen mental health has improved in the past two years, but a new analysis presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics conference indicates that the broader trend over the past generation has been far less encouraging. The study found that suicidal thoughts among U.S. high school students declined steadily from 1991 to about 2009, then climbed again through 2021, with suicide attempts and persistent sadness following a similar pattern.
The analysis, led by Niyati Sharma, a junior at Horseheads High School in New York, examined long-running Youth Risk Behavior Survey results for students in grades 9 through 12. Reporting from Contemporary Pediatrics said the team used statistical methods to identify when those trends changed direction. It found suicidal thoughts fell by about 3.6% a year from 1991 to 2009, before rising by roughly 3.7% annually from 2009 to 2021. Persistent sadness or hopelessness increased more modestly after 2009 and then rose more quickly between 2017 and 2021, while suicide attempts also moved higher after 2009.
Other markers of adolescent wellbeing shifted in the same era. The abstract reported that insufficient sleep rose after 2013, obesity increased after 2011, and academic performance weakened from 2001 to 2019. Sharma told Contemporary Pediatrics that the findings showed a “clear turning point” around 2009 to 2010 across multiple indicators, and noted that the timing overlaps with the spread of social media and other digital connectivity, the 2008 recession, academic pressure and changes in access to health care. Those factors were listed as possible explanations, not proven causes. Because the study was presented as a conference abstract rather than a full peer-reviewed paper, it cannot establish why the trends changed.
The CDC’s own Youth Risk Behavior Survey data add context to the recent improvement. Its 2023 to 2025 trend report says adolescent mental health showed early signs of recovery over that period, even as school violence increased. The CDC’s 2021 survey results showed that more than 40% of high school students experienced persistent sadness or hopelessness that year, and that girls and LGBTQ+ students reported higher levels of distress and suicidal thoughts than their peers. The agency also says suicide remains a leading cause of death among young people in the United States.
For parents and caregivers, the message is mixed but important. The latest numbers suggest some progress, yet they follow more than a decade of worsening indicators and still leave a substantial share of teenagers struggling. Warning signs can include withdrawal from friends, changes in sleep, falling grades, loss of interest in activities, giving away belongings or any talk of wanting to die. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends suicide-risk screening for patients aged 12 and older, alongside depression screening, and families can ask for that at routine check-ups. Help is available at any time through the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by phone, text or chat, and emergency services should be contacted immediately if someone is in immediate danger.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
