Mental Health and Suicide Risks

Six line charts titled 'Changes Over Time' showing percentages of high school students reporting mental health and suicide risk indicators from 2015 to 2025. Persistent Feelings of Sadness or Hopelessness: 30%, 31%, 37%, 42%, 40%, 33%. Poor Mental Health (data available beginning 2021): 29%, 29%, 23%. Seriously Considered Attempting Suicide: 18%, 17%, 19%, 22%, 20%, 14%. Made a Suicide Plan: 15%, 14%, 16%, 18%, 16%, 12%. Attempted Suicide: 9%, 7%, 9%, 10%, 9%, 6%. Injured in a Suicide Attempt That Had to Be Treated by a Doctor or Nurse: 3%, 2%, 3%, 3%, 2%, 1%. A callout notes that in 2025, 33% of high school students experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness during the past 12 months.

Bar charts titled 'A Closer Look at 2025 Differences.' Male and Female Differences: text notes female students were more likely than male students to experience all six indicators. Persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness — Male 24%, Female 43%. Poor mental health — Male 16%, Female 31%. Seriously considered attempting suicide — Male 11%, Female 18%. Made a suicide plan — Male 10%, Female 15%. Attempted suicide — Male 5%, Female 8%. Injured in a suicide attempt treated by a doctor or nurse — Male 1%, Female 2%. Grade Differences: text notes 9th graders were more likely than 12th graders to make a suicide plan, and more likely than 11th and 12th graders to attempt suicide. Made a suicide plan by grade — 9th 13%, 10th 13%, 11th 12%, 12th 11%. Attempted suicide by grade — 9th 7%, 10th 7%, 11th 6%, 12th 5%.

Infographic titled 'Key Findings for Mental Health and Suicide Risks.' In 2025, about 1 in 3 high school students experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. 9th grade students were more likely than 12th grade students to make a suicide plan, and more likely than 11th and 12th grade students to attempt suicide. Female students were more likely than male students to experience persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, experience poor mental health, seriously consider attempting suicide, make a suicide plan, attempt suicide, and be injured in a suicide attempt requiring treatment. From 2023 to 2025, five indicators improved: persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, poor mental health, seriously considering attempting suicide, making a suicide plan, and attempting suicide. From 2015 to 2025, three indicators remained unchanged; more students experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, while fewer students were injured in a suicide attempt requiring treatment. Includes a photo of hands forming a heart shape.

Story image titled 'Stories From the Field: Behavioral Health Centers Provide Care.' Text explains that in the 2024–2025 school year, the Fort Worth Independent School District deepened its collaboration with Texas Community Hope, a nonprofit health system, to support student well-being. They set up five regional School-Based Behavioral Health Centers offering care during daytime and evening hours, making more than 4,000 referrals for mental health services and providing direct therapy to more than 1,700 middle and high school students through partnerships with 30 local providers. They also launched the Growing Strong Youth Summit for 800 students from 23 schools, focused on movement, mindfulness, mental health literacy, and well-being. Further support came from Texas Christian University and a full-time psychiatrist from the University of North Texas Health Science Center providing free weekly counseling. Includes a map of Texas with Fort Worth marked and a photo of a counselor talking with a teenage boy.