Using Data to Support Prevention and Student Well-Being

Using Trend Data to Support Prevention and Student Well-Being

Schools play a critical role in helping students manage mental health and other challenges. As student anxiety, depression, and other well-being concerns continue to rise, it’s important for school districts to understand the trends so they can tailor services accordingly.

Exploring the Data on Key Youth Health-Related Behaviors and Experiences

The most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Youth Risk Behavior Survey reveals disturbing trends among teenagers on issues ranging from mental health to substance abuse to their experiences with violence, sexual violence, and more. The data, which was released in the fall of 2023 and contains 10-year trend data from 2011 to 2021, “tell a distressing story about the health and well-being of our nation’s young people,” the organization stated.

The report found that mental health concerns rose across the board over the 10-year period. In 2021:

• 42% of high school students reported they felt so sad or hopeless almost every day for at least two weeks in a row that they stopped doing their usual activities and 29% reported having poor mental health within the past 30 days.
• When asked about their thoughts and actions over the past year, 22% said they had seriously considered attempting suicide; 18% reported they made a suicide plan and 10% said they had attempted suicide one or more times.

Other indicators were slightly more positive. The report noted that bullying decreased during the 10-year period and cyberbullying remained unchanged. In 2021, 15% of students reported being bullied on school property during the past year, compared to 20% in 2011; and 16% reported being cyberbullied, the same percentage as in 2011.

However other experiences of violence went up or remained unchanged. In 2021, 8% of students reported being forced to have sex (unchanged from 2011), 9% reported not going to school because of safety concerns (up from 6% in 2011), and 7% reported being threatened or injured with a weapon at school (unchanged from 2011).

Substance use among high school students decreased for many substances over the 10-year period, marking another positive trend. However, the report noted many students still use alcohol and drugs, and called the lack of progress in reducing use in some areas concerning. In 2021:

• 23% of students reported they drink alcohol and 16% reported they use marijuana. The percentages of students who reported ever having used an electronic vape product, illicit drugs, or misused prescription opioids were 18%, 13% and 12%, respectively.

Disparities Across Subsets of Students

In all areas, the report found significant disparities in students’ experiences based on their gender, ethnicity or LGBTQ+ status. Examples include:

• Across almost all measures of substance use, experiences of violence, mental health, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors, female students fared more poorly than male students. For instance, female students were nearly twice as likely to experience persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness and nearly twice as likely to attempt suicide during the past year compared to their male peers; with nearly 6 in 10 feeling persistently sad or hopeless and more than 1 in 10 attempting suicide.
• LGBTQ+ students and those who have had same-sex partners were more likely than their peers to have used or misused substances, and were significantly more likely to have experienced all forms of violence. Close to 70% of LGBTQ+ students experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness during the past year and more than 50% had poor mental health during the past 30 days. Almost 25% attempted suicide during the past year.
• Experiences varied for students of different ethnic groups and there was little consistency. For instance, Black students were less likely than other ethnicities to use alcohol, but more likely than Asian, Hispanic or White students to use marijuana. Black and Hispanic students were more likely to not go to school because of safety concerns, however Black students were less likely to experience bullying at school.

Supporting Student Well-being

The CDC’s data helps shed light on the challenges high school students face and the areas in which they need the most support. This information can help schools create prevention and early intervention programs. When creating well-rounded programs, professional development for educators and school staff is a key component. Comprehensive programs should also include educational programming for students and provide students with resources to help support their areas of need.

Vector Solutions provides customizable online courses for students covering many of the topics mentioned in the survey, including depression, stress, anxiety, dating violence, bullying, substance misuse prevention, and more. The expert-authored, engaging video courses are valuable tools to help students gain a better understanding of these issues and make healthy, positive choices.

Digging Into Local Data for a Targeted Approach

Vector’s courses provide a good baseline of knowledge in the areas that the CDC survey indicates are key areas of concern nationwide. They can also provide valuable insight into a district’s own student population because they include pre- and post-course assessments and surveys. The resulting data provides school and district leaders with additional insights about the attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs of the students at their specific school and school district. This data can then be leveraged strategically to help support intervention. For instance, if the Vector survey data indicates a high prevalence of substance misuse, the school or district can add specific programming related to that issue.

Vector’s courses also help school districts:

• Increase school connectedness across all grades and for all youth by promoting discussion about positive relationships and connection.
• Implement quality health education for all grades. Vector’s courses are mapped to national health education standards.
• Increase students’ access to needed services. The courses ask questions about awareness of resources so schools and districts can identify gaps in their service or in their communications about what services are offered.
• Customize instruction. Schools and districts can customize Vector’s student courses to add state-, community- and district-specific information such as the district’s policies on certain topics and the specific community resources available to assist in connecting students with resources and information.

Data is a powerful tool to illuminate areas of need and drive prevention priorities in K-12 schools. Students depend on the adults in their lives to put supports in place that set them up for success, both in the classroom and beyond. This includes supporting their well-being. By understanding national and local trends, school and district leaders can create well-rounded prevention programs that better support student well-being and success.

About Vector’s Student Safety & Wellness Courses

Vector Solutions’ Student Safety & Wellness Courses help schools positively impact school culture and improve student outcomes. Course libraries include:

• Mental Health & Well-being
• Substance Misuse and Prevention
• Healthy Relationships
• Personal & Community Safety
• Career Readiness & Life Skills

Courses are customizable and available in 20+ languages.