WATERBURY, Vt. (WCAX) – Vermont health officials say one-third of students in the state report that they continue to struggle with mental health challenges.
New data from the Vermont Department of Health’s 2023 Vermont Youth Risk Behavior Survey indicate that while progress has been made on drug, alcohol, and tobacco use, mental health challenges like stress, anxiety, and depression remain high.
Students are reporting self-harm and making suicide plans at the same rates as during the pandemic. They say this is especially a concern for female and LGBTQ+ students, who report at significantly higher rates than their peers.
“In line with national trends, we are seeing young people in Vermont grappling with persistent feelings of hopelessness and isolation in a much more pronounced way than was the case among the same age groups 10 years ago,” Health Department Deputy Commissioner Kelly Dougherty said in a statement. “We have a responsibility as adults to believe what these students are telling us about how they feel and to treat this growing crisis with the urgency it deserves.”
Students for the first time were also asked about social media use. The results show that 80 percent of high school students and 60% of middle school students check social media at least several times a day.
Vermont is among a number of states suing Meta, TikTok, and other companies for violating consumer protection laws by getting teens hooked on products that have been shown to negatively impact the mental health of teens.