A clearer view of the numbers.
Statistics can help describe the scale of a concern, but they do not explain one child's, teenager's, or family's experience. These figures are offered as public-health context, not as a way to diagnose anyone or predict what a person needs.
Source years differ because national surveys and surveillance reports are released on different schedules. The date beside each source identifies the period the estimate represents.
39.7%
reported persistent sadness or hopelessness
Among U.S. high school students surveyed in 2023, this describes feeling sad or hopeless almost every day for at least two weeks in a row and stopping usual activities.
Source: CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 2023 data, published 202428.5%
reported poor mental health
In the 2023 national survey of high school students, more than one in four described their mental health as not good most of the time or always.
Source: CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 2023 data, published 202420.4%
seriously considered attempting suicide
This estimate is from U.S. high school students reporting on the previous 12 months in the 2023 survey.
Source: CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 2023 data, published 20249.5%
reported a suicide attempt
This estimate reflects U.S. high school students who reported at least one suicide attempt during the previous 12 months in 2023.
Source: CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 2023 data, published 20241 in 31
8-year-old children met the autism surveillance definition
The CDC estimate was 32.2 per 1,000 children across 16 U.S. monitoring sites in 2022. It is a surveillance estimate, not a national diagnostic count.
Source: CDC Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 2022 data, published 20251.7 times
higher identification by age 48 months
Across participating sites, children born in 2018 were identified with autism or autism special education eligibility by age 48 months at a higher rate than children born in 2014.
Source: CDC Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 2022 data, published 202520.1%
had a major depressive episode
In 2021, an estimated 5.0 million U.S. adolescents ages 12 to 17 had at least one major depressive episode in the previous year.
Source: National Institute of Mental Health, 2021 data, page updated July 202314.7%
had depression with severe impairment
In 2021, an estimated 3.7 million U.S. adolescents ages 12 to 17 had a major depressive episode that severely affected one or more areas of daily life.
Source: National Institute of Mental Health, 2021 data, page updated July 2023When the numbers become personal.
A statistic cannot tell a family what to do next. What matters is the pattern in front of you: a young person's well-being, daily functioning, relationships, safety, and the support that may make life more manageable.
Dr. Eaton-Wolkiewicz offers individual and family therapy, psychological assessment, and autism-informed support for children, adolescents, young adults, adults, and families.
Methodology & sources
This page uses publicly available federal reports and does not combine figures from different studies. Each statistic is reported as published, with its population and data year described nearby.
- CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey (2023 data, published 2024)
- CDC Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network (2022 data, published 2025)
- National Institute of Mental Health (2021 data, page updated July 2023)
Cite this page
Dr. Nichol Eaton-Wolkiewicz, PsyD. “Youth Mental Health & Autism Statistics.” Accessed September 15, 2026. https://dreatonw.com/youth-mental-health-autism-statistics