Colorado kids have been struggling in recent years with high levels of anxiety, depression and thoughts of self harm. Now, early data out of Summit County suggests young people in that community are starting to feel better.
In 2021, nearly 40% of Colorado teens reported persistent sadness and hopelessness, according to the Healthy Kids Colorado survey, which is administered every other year to more than 100,000 students across the state.
Select results from the new 2023 survey, which were presented to the Summit County Board of County Commissioners this week, show a dramatic improvement in teen well-being. At Summit High School, the larger of the two county high schools with a student body of around 1,100, more than 1 in 3 teens reported feeling sad or hopeless for more than two weeks in 2021. Last year, around 1 in 5 students reported those same symptoms.
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“It just makes you kind of breathe better,” Elizabeth Edgar, manager of Youth and Family services for the county, said. “And you're like, 'OK, at least we can know if we're trending in the right direction.' We still have work to do.”
On top of persistent mental health struggles, rural communities like Summit County generally lack a sufficient number of behavioral health providers and treatment options. Summit School District has been focused on improving wellness through connection: to peers and their academics.
Dave DeRose, the Summit High School dean of students, gave a recent example: The school invited local Senegalese immigrant families to a dinner with administrators in the high school building to share food and promote dialogue focused on better understanding their experiences in the school district, particularly related to language barriers.
“Focusing on the in-school needs of the students but also addressing the needs of the community has been really powerful,” DeRose said.
Select data from Summit High School also shows reductions in the percentage of students who say they vape and drink alcohol. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment plans to release the statewide Healthy Kids Colorado survey results this summer.
