Annual Alaska survey of teens finds increase in mental health problems

Alaska teens are more likely to be depressed and have suicidal thoughts than were teens a decade ago, and some mental health problems have increased notably among girls, according to results from the state's most recent Youth Risk Behavior Survey, the Alaska Beacon reported Aug. 21. Administered in 2023 to nearly 1,200 high school students around the state, the survey found numerous negative trends. Of the respondents, 19% reported attempting suicide at least once over the past year, compared to 8.7% in the 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. The number who reported they had considered suicide came in at 23%, compared to 14.5% in 2011. And 43% reported feeling sad or hopeless for such extended periods that they were not able to carry out some of their usual activities, compared to 25.9% who reported feeling that way in the 2011 survey. In many mental health measures, girls reported more problems than boys. Among female respondents in 2023, 56% reported feeling too sad to engage in their usual activities, versus 32% for male respondents. While 20% of all respondents reported being cyberbullied — up from 15% in 2011 — 25% of the girls said they had been victimized that way. Alaska's Youth Risk Behavior Survey is administered to students every two years, though 2021 was skipped because of the COVID-19 pandemic and school closures. Results from the 2023 survey were released this month by the Alaska Division of Public Health.