More Montana high schoolers considered, planned and attempted suicide last school year than in the three decades before, according to results from a statewide survey.
Over 25% of high school students said they “seriously considered” suicide at some point in the 12 months prior, and 15% made an attempt. These are the largest documented numbers since high schoolers have been taking the questionnaire.
Developed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) is distributed to Montana students once every two years, most recently in the spring of 2023. Nearly 4,500 students across 50 public high schools completed the latest version. It consisted of 97 questions to assess the behaviors that can lead to poor health outcomes.
Mental health among young Montanans has been a persistent issue.
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The 2021 YRBS found that 41% of students reported symptoms of depression, and 1 in 10 made suicide attempts. At the time, those were the highest-ever rates. Government officials touted a multimillion-dollar effort in 2023 to offer universal mental health screening to students and pair those deemed at-risk with services.
But this year’s numbers haven’t budged. In fact, they’ve gotten worse. Almost 43% of students said they felt so sad or hopeless for two weeks or more in a row that they stopped engaging in usual activities, a tell-tale sign of depression. Female students experienced stress, anxiety or depression at a rate double their male peers.
Flathead, Glacier, Musselshell and Yellowstone counties had the highest percentages of students who considered suicide. These same counties saw more students struggling with signs of depression. Nearly 22% and 21% of students in Glacier and Blaine counties said they attempted suicide.
For the first time, the survey asked if students worked with a mental health provider at school, and 24% of students said they did.
“It is important to allow our Montana students to let their voices be heard,” said Elsie Arntzen, state superintendent, in a statement. “There are still challenges with the mental well-being of our children.”
Substance use and technology
Drinking then driving and not wearing a seat belt have been on a general steady decline for the last couple of decades. As technology has become ubiquitous in the life of the average teenager, so too have behaviors involving electronics that could cause them danger.
Nearly 60% of students reported texting or emailing while driving, the highest in the last 10 years, and over half said they use the internet or other cellular apps while behind the wheel.
On substance use, alcohol and smokeless tobacco are becoming less widespread. But 9% of students used cigarettes, a six-year peak. Marijuana use is “virtually unchanged” at 21% over the last 20 years.
But where alcohol use continues to be prevalent, it has a hold. Nearly 41% of Valley County students said they’ve had 10 or more drinks in a row within a couple hours. That's sky-high compared with the statewide average of 4.5%.
Heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine weren’t reported to be used as widely as prescription pain medicines for non-medicinal reasons. About 14% of students said they were using prescription meds in this way, which is an increase since pre-COVID but down in the last decade.
Bullying continues to be a concern. After reaching its low point of 15.6% of students who said they experienced bullying in 2021, the number jumped to 25.3%. A lot of bullying takes place electronically.
Almost every county had more than 20% of students reporting they had been bullied on school property in the last year. Reported rates were highest in Choteau, Flathead, Sanders and Stillwater counties, topping 30%.
Sex and violence
Over 10% of students said they were threatened or injured with a weapon on school property, the most since the question started being asked 30 years ago.
Stillwater County had the highest percentage of students who said they had carried a weapon on school property in the last 30 days at 23%. Richland County had the lowest at 5.4%.
Nearly twice as many students got into a fight on school property in 2023 as compared with 2021, and 12% of high schoolers said they didn’t go to school because they felt unsafe on campus or while en route. That’s a significant jump from 6.6% in 2021.
Fewer students have had sex, and those who are having it are doing so with fewer partners. However, more people are having unprotected sex now than since 1997.
After remaining fairly steady for the better part of two decades, the percentage of students who reported being forced to have sexual intercourse has ticked up in the last few years from 9.8% in 2019 to 15.2% in 2023. A declining share of students said they were physically abused by their dating partner.
Numbers were the worst in Missoula County. About 18% of students said they had been forced to have sexual intercourse against their will, the highest of any in the state.
Lifestyle behaviors
Health often reflects the cumulative impact of day-to-day living, so the survey asks about a number of lifestyle behaviors to gauge well-being.
A growing share of students are not eating vegetables regularly, and soda consumption increased for the first time since 2017. More high schoolers are not getting breakfast, topping 20% for the first time ever.
Physical activity has remained fairly consistent, but the percentage of high schoolers spending three or more hours per day on a screen unrelated to school work has shot up. In 2019, 56% of students said this characterized their digital behavior. In 2021 and 2023, that number remained steady at nearly 72%.
Almost 82% of students said they use social media one or more times a day.
Rates of obesity and being overweight jumped up, too. More than double the number of students are overweight as compared to 2021.
Teens are sleeping less. In 2015, nearly 33% got eight hours or more of shuteye on an average school night. This survey showed 26%.