This story mentions mental health, suicide and self-harm. If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call or text 988. For more resources, click here.

MADISON, Wis. — A new report shows Wisconsin students are facing several mental health challenges.

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction has released the 2021 Wisconsin Youth Risk Behavior Survey, and it shows that Wisconsin students generally reported experiencing “significant mental health challenges” while having less support at school and at home.

The data outlined in the report includes responses from 771 Wisconsin middle and high school students from fall 2021.

Students of color, with disabilities, facing food insecurity, who had moved multiple times, with low grades, who identify as LGBTQ+ and female reported more challenges and less support. The report includes data on mental and physical health, suicide, online behavior and drug and alcohol use, among other topics.

More than 52% of students reported anxiety, which is statistically unchanged from 2019 (49%), but an increase from 2017 (39.9%). Just under 34% of students reported depression, which went up more than 11% since 2011.

One in five students reported non-suicidal self-harm (21.7%), a rate that, while unchanged from 2019 (18.5%), has increased over the last 10 years (17.2% in 2011).

Among high school students specifically, the majority (58.1%) reported experiencing one or more of the following over the course of 12 months: depression, anxiety, self-harm or suicidal ideation.

“When I talk to parents, caregivers and educators across the state, youth mental health is a primary concern, but it means something different when we hear it directly from the kids,” State Superintendent Dr. Jill Underly said. “This data lays bare the youth mental health crisis in our state, and they do not have enough access to support at school. That is difficult to hear, but it is important information because we can do something about it – our legislative leaders can take action and budget significant funding for mental health supports in our schools. And every single one of us can take action ourselves and check in with the young people in our own lives. Reach out, it really can make a difference.”

The DPI has administered the YRBS to Wisconsin students every two years, starting in 1993. The 2023 YRBS is currently being administered to students, and will conclude on June 30.

For more information on the YRBS, including the full report, visit the Wisconsin DPI’s Student Services/Prevention and Wellness website.