The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is announcing the results of the 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), which measures health-related behaviors of students in grades 9 through 12. The results indicate that the historic, pandemic-related increases in youth mental health concerns reported in 2021 have begun to level off for high school students across New Hampshire.

Highlights from the 2023 YRBS results include:

• Approximately 40% of students reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness in 2023, a decrease from 44% in 2021. While this percentage remains elevated, it marks the first time in a decade that the percentage of students who reported feeling sad or hopeless has decreased compared to two years prior.
• The percentage of students reporting that their mental health was “not good” always or most of the time decreased from 36% in 2021 to less than 33% in 2023.
• Of the students reporting that they felt sad, empty, hopeless, angry, or anxious, a higher percentage reported receiving the help they needed in 2023 compared to 2021.
• The percentage of students who said they seriously considered, planned, or attempted suicide decreased in 2023 compared to 2021.

“We are encouraged by what New Hampshire students are reporting about their mental health and well-being,” said DHHS Associate Commissioner Patricia Tilley. “While these results suggest a shift in the right direction, there is more work to do. Every child experiencing mental health challenges deserves support, compassion, and care. The Department is committed to strengthening the children’s system of care through prevention and treatment so that every student in every New Hampshire community can thrive.”

As the top state in the country for overall child well-being, New Hampshire has made significant investments in its youth mental health system. These include launching New Hampshire Rapid Response, which assisted residents via call, text, and chat more than 34,600 times in 2023, and mobilizing a statewide response to the impacts of social media on youth. Since 2022, New Hampshire has invested nearly $2 million to bolster behavioral health support in schools and included the 988 Suicide Prevention Lifeline number on student identification cards across the state.

Behavioral health is a primary focus of the DHHS Roadmap 2024-2025, which aims to ensure that all Granite Staters have access to the right services at the right time and in the right setting. Building a more robust youth mental health system is also a goal of New Hampshire’s State Health Improvement Plan, 10-Year Mental Health Plan, Children’s System of Care, Suicide Prevention Plan, and the Governor’s Commission on Alcohol and Other Drugs Strategic Plan, highlighting how critical this issue is for New Hampshire.

The New Hampshire YRBS is made possible by partnerships among local schools, DHHS, and the New Hampshire Department of Education (NHED). Since 1993, the survey has been distributed every other year to high school students who voluntarily choose to participate. The anonymous results help monitor trends, identify emerging issues, and plan, evaluate, and prioritize programs that can help improve adolescent health.

DHHS and NHED would like to thank all students and schools who participated in the 2023 YRBS. As DHHS prepares to administer the 2025 YRBS, parents, youth, and school administrators are encouraged to participate in the survey to maximize student academic achievement and health throughout New Hampshire.

For more information about the 2023 YRBS and to access the full report, please visit the DHHS website.