CDC survey shows teen girls at higher risk of suicide

Results of the Center for Disease Control’s 2021 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey released Thursday provide a jarring look at the urgent state of teen physical and mental health.

A third of female students said they have considered suicide in the past year, 24% had made a suicide plan, and more than 13% said they’ve attempted suicide, Politico reported.

The survey, which is conducted biennially, also found that 1 in 5 high school students had witnessed violence in their communities, and 3.5% said they carried a gun, according to Politico. About 9% of students said they had been forced into sex at some point in their life.

The survey also showed two important shifts in high school student demographics, Politico reported: a rise in the number of responded identified as being part of a racial or ethnic minority group, from 48.9% in 2019 to more than 49% in 2021, and a rise in the number of students identified as LGBQ+ from 11% in 2019 to about 25% in 2021.