2022 Report of Wisconsin Children and Teen mental health released

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) - The Office of Children’s Mental Health released its state-wide 2022 annual report today, showing areas of both improvement and decline. Every year the state sends surveys to schools across Wisconsin to learn about the current mental health and well-being of students in the state.

The most noteworthy data shows students feeling less connected to their schools than they did five years ago, and they’re struggling more in their classes with a noticeable decline in test scores.

The report shows one third of high school students say they feel depressed and half of LGBTQ+ youth in Wisconsin have considered suicide.

“The concerns of the trends are being exacerbated by the pandemic, and disconnection that youth have experienced,” says Senator Jill Billings. “The good news is that because of the pandemic, more people are willing to talk about mental health and recognize we need to take action to improve children’s well-being.”

Legislators and health leaders say they will use this new data to find solutions to help curb the rise in mental health issues in children and teens.

There are some positive aspects of the report; data finds bullying in Wisconsin schools has declined by six percent compared to 2017. There are also fewer teen mothers now than in the past five years. Schools are adding more counselors and social workers to help students.

View the annual report here.