Teens today are more likley to say they feel persistently sad or hopeless and think about suicide.

Question

Forty percent of highschool students reported to experiance, persistent feelings such being sad and hopeless in 2023, according Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Which focus on many studies on teen bahavior such as meltal health, sexual behavior and other important issues. lots of theses reports came in during the convid19 pandemic (about 42% two years earlier).

CNN spoke with Matt Richtel who wrote a book “How we grow up”, focusing on the transition towrds teen behavoir of idenity, and the challenges that come with that, and why has the been so effective for the past decades. in his interveiw with CNN he mentions those challgenes such as, the teen tends to move quickly cuaing them to feel overwelmed or anxiety, for newer generations are surronded by social media making them feel insheltered. teens not knwing why there upset, translating them to have bad days. Not understanding or even having the motivatiin of adolescence wanting to explore, exmaple not wanitng to read.

Methods from Richtel, he metioned for teens to deal with situations like these. Is to find the skills of coping, also going to therapy that focus more congnitive behavior and dialectical therapy.

Answer 1

Though this claim is overall true, there are parts of it that are slightly misleading.

 

It is identified in the yale school of medicine  “that suicide is rising dramatically in preteens as young as 8 years old as well, with an 8.2% annual increase from 2008 to 2022’, and 63% in 2007-2021. From the early 2000s, there has been a undoubtedly a steady increase of suicide, which supports the claim “teens today” are more likely to commit suicide. 

 

https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/youth-suicide-is-on-the-rise-yale-aims-to-save-lives/ 

 

However, in a recent U.S. Department of Health and Human Services study (as of August 4th), it was found that while adult suicide rates stayed almost the same “depression and suicidal thoughts and behaviors in teens declined”. In the span of 3 years, 12-17 year olds that experienced suicidal thoughts fell from 13% to 10%, while attempts also fell from 3.6% to 2.7%. 

 

https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/08/04/nx-s1-5490050/nsduh-depression-suicide-federal-statistics-teens 

 

The claim made is not necessarily entirely misleading, but definitely open ended. Teens today are more likely to commit suicide than the early 2000s, but if we view “today” as a couple of years ago, this claim would be wrong because the rates have been decreasing. 

Answer 2

The claim made above is true and recent research supports this. Teen mental health has become a national concern, and professionals agree that social media, identity development, and lack of coping skills play major roles in rising distress levels. Encouraging coping skills and access to evidence-based therapies like CBT and DBT is essential in helping teens navigate these challenges.

The World Health Organization say there are more than 720,000 suicide deaths a year. The organization states that suicide is the leading cause of death among people between the ages 15 and 29. This was all reported in March 2025.

The claim above referenced the 40% of teens that suffered from constant sadness through out the past year, according to the 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey managed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Also reported by the CDC, the same survey showed that 20.4% of students "seriously considered attempting suicide." It could be argued that progress is being made because the report also highlights how in 2021 it was 42% of teens. However this does not take away from the fact that both numbers, including the slightly smaller one, are alarming.

Answer 3

This user claims that "Teens today are more likely to say they feel persistently sad or hopeless and think about suicide." It seems that they based their claims on an article from the news company CNN. This news outlet is considered a reputable source and seems to have no prior adverse agenda. However, it has been reported that their content is perceived to "skew left" (Ad Fontes Media, 1) in terms of possible bias. Since politics are extremely polarized right now, this may lead some readers away from CNN if it does not align with their political views.

To get a better understanding of this topic, it is best to look at multiple sources. Another reputable source that has reported on this case is the American Psychological Association. They stated, "A troubling pattern is on the rise in adolescents across the country: increasing rates of suicide, with youth of color and LGBTQ+ youth most affected—all against a backdrop of teens reporting high levels of hopelessness, sadness, loneliness, and suicidal ideation" (American Psychological Association, 1). The data they have collected shows firsthand experiences of teens with mental health disorders, and reinforces the claim that more teens are feeling suicidal in recent years. It was reported that more than 20% of current teenagers are dealing with these issues and have even considered taking their own lives, unfortunately. 

Upon further investigation, it seems that the APA is getting its information from the Center for Disease Control (CDC). They cited the "Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary & Trends Report: 2013-2023" that "tells an important story about adolescent health and well-being" (CDC). This specific data does not look like it is cited out of context and is actually a reputable source. The CDC works to provide medical data and information for the greater population, and is a good place to source data from. From this survey and its results, we can see that the rise in teenage mental health issues has occurred in the past decade and has become an epidemic among the youth.

To summarize, the original claim that was made is factual and can be backed up by many reputable sources. However, it is tragic that the claim of teenage suicide increasing over the past decade is true.

https://adfontesmedia.com/cnn-bias-and-reliability/

https://www.apa.org/monitor/2023/07/psychologists-preventing-teen-suicide