CDC Report Documents the Effect of Racism on Youth Mental Health, Suicide Risk, and Substance Abuse

In 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted the national Youth Risk Behavior Survey to assess the experiences of racism among high school students in the United States. According to their findings, encountering racism at this age has significant adverse effects on mental health and well-being. The survey found that 31.5 percent of high school students in America have experienced racism at least once while in school. Encounters with racism were most prevalent among Asian (56.9 percent), multi-racial (48.8 percent), and Black (45.9 percent) students. In comparison, 17.3 percent of White students reported experiences with racism. Among those who had experienced racism, Black and Hispanic students were significantly more likely to have poor mental health, higher rates of suicide ideation, and substance use, compared to their same-race peers who had not experienced racism in school. Black students and other students of color were over two times more likely to have considered suicide compared to those who had not experienced racism. “Such findings highlight the potential benefits of school-based policies and practices that address negative experiences on the basis of race and ethnicity in school,” the authors write. “Schools can promote connections to foster positive experiences for all students,...