CDC survey finds mental health and suicide risk among U.S. teens has improved

NPR | By Rhitu Chatterjee

Published September 23, 2026 at 4:41 AM EDT

The CDC's latest Youth Risk Behavior Survey highlights students' diets, sleep and nutrition, which are priorities for Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Rhitu Chatterjee

Rhitu Chatterjee is a health correspondent with NPR, with a focus on mental health.

See stories by Rhitu Chatterjee

Support nonprofit, fact-based public service journalism

WEKU depends on support from those who view and listen to our content. There's no paywall here. Please support WEKU with your donation.

Contribute now

Related Content

The Commonwealth

Sierra Club gives all but 1 of Kentucky's electric utilities an F on latest scorecard

Curtis Tate

The environmental advocacy group failed most of Kentucky’s electric utilities because of their commitment to coal and natural gas.
Trump touts his economy and U.S. actions in Iran in UNGA address

Deepa Shivaram, Leila Fadel

President Trump touted what he portrayed as international and domestic triumphs in a speech to the U.N. General Assembly.
NPR News

U.S. ambassador to the U.N. discusses Trump's address at UNGA

Steve Inskeep

NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz about President Trump's trip to the U.N. General Assembly and whether progress has been made on key issues.
NPR News

Will FDA advisers recommend a multi-cancer blood test for approval? They'll vote

Yuki Noguchi

The company Grail says its Galleri blood test can detect up to 50 forms of cancer. An independent panel of experts will decide if the test should be recommended for FDA approval.
NPR News

DOJ defends White House media ban, urges court to reject lawsuit

NPR Staff

The Department of Justice defended President Trump's recent media ban, arguing that reporting by CNN, MS Now and Politico on a wide range of issues jeopardized national security and spread falsehoods.