CDC report finds health improvements in U.S. high school students

A report released Sept. 21 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found improvements in mental health and dietary habits among U.S. high school students. The report discusses national Youth Risk Behavior Survey data from 2023 to 2025 and 10-year trends from 2015 to 2025. Many mental health and suicide risk indicators improved between 2023 and 2025, including poor mental health lowering from 29% to 23%, and seriously considering suicide lowering from 20% to 14%. Fewer students reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness in 2025 (33%) compared to 2023 (40%), although the CDC noted that this trend worsened between 2015 and 2025. The report also found students improved fruit and vegetable consumption from 2023 to 2025, as well as daily consumption of plain water. Additionally, daily physical activity, muscle-strengthening activity and meeting recommended activity guidelines remained unchanged from 2023 to 2025, and fewer students attended physical education classes daily in 2025. The CDC found that 24% of students got at least eight hours of sleep on an average school night in 2025, similar to 23% in 2023.