A comprehensive statewide survey of Utah students has revealed a significant and welcome reversal of several negative trends, showing notable improvements in mental health indicators and a marked decline in substance use compared to findings from two years prior. The 2025 Student Health and Risk Prevention (SHARP) survey, which gathered responses from over 78,000 students in the sixth, eighth, 10th, and 12th grades, provides a critical snapshot of the well-being of the state’s youth. The data indicates fewer students are reporting symptoms of depression and suicidal thoughts, and a smaller percentage admit to using alcohol or drugs. This positive shift comes after years of growing concern among policymakers and health officials about the deteriorating state of adolescent mental health, offering a beacon of hope and a set of data points that can help guide future prevention and support efforts across communities and within families. The survey also highlighted an encouraging increase in the number of students who regularly share meals with their families, a practice linked to better overall outcomes.
1. A Closer Look at Mental Health Metrics
The most striking findings from the survey relate to a significant downturn in critical mental health distress signals among teenagers. There was a remarkable 28% decrease in the number of students who reported seriously considering suicide within the past year, with the figure dropping from 17.6% in 2023 to 12.6% in the latest survey. This encouraging trend was mirrored in the data on suicide attempts; the share of students who said they had attempted suicide during the same 12-month period fell from 7.3% to 5.6%. These figures represent a crucial turning point, especially when viewed against a national backdrop where youth mental health has been a persistent and growing concern, often linked to the pervasive influence of social media. The U.S. surgeon general issued an advisory in 2023 highlighting the profound risks social media poses to the well-being of adolescents, making the positive developments in Utah particularly noteworthy as communities seek effective strategies to counteract these widespread pressures and bolster the resilience of their young people.
Further analysis of the survey data reinforces the positive shift in adolescent emotional well-being beyond the most acute risk factors. Indicators related to depressive symptoms showed a clear improvement, with a smaller percentage of students reporting high or moderate symptoms compared to previous years. Correspondingly, the survey recorded an increase in the proportion of students who stated they felt no depressive symptoms at all. This broader enhancement of mental health suggests that the underlying factors contributing to emotional distress may be lessening for many young people in the state. The results for indicators of self-harm and social isolation also showed declines across most categories when compared to the 2023 data. This comprehensive improvement across various mental health metrics suggests a potential stabilization after a period of escalating challenges, providing optimism for prevention specialists who have been working to reverse these troubling long-term trends and support healthier adolescent development.
2. The Persistent Influence of Screen Time
Despite the positive mental health trends, the survey underscored the ubiquitous and often problematic role of technology in students’ lives. Nearly every student surveyed reported using a cellphone within the past month, and their engagement with these devices is exceptionally frequent. Over 40% of respondents admitted to checking their phones at least once every 15 minutes, while an additional 39% checked them every 30 to 60 minutes. This constant connectivity comes at a cost, as a majority of students acknowledged that their screen time interferes with essential activities like sleep and completing homework. Furthermore, nearly half of the students felt it encroached on time spent with family, and more than a third recognized that it displaced opportunities for physical exercise. These findings paint a complex picture where mental health is improving even as the potentially disruptive presence of digital devices remains a central feature of daily life for the vast majority of teenagers, highlighting a delicate balance that students, parents, and educators must navigate.
The survey also delved into the specific impact of social media, revealing nuanced perceptions among students. While a majority reported that social media had a neutral effect on their academic performance and family relationships, its influence on self-perception was decidedly more negative. A significant 43% of students said that their use of social media made them feel worse about their own bodies, pointing to the powerful role these platforms play in shaping self-esteem and body image. Compounding this issue is a disconnect between parental rules and their enforcement. Although over 80% of students said their parents had established at least some rules regarding screen time, only half reported that these rules were almost always or often enforced. Nearly a third of students stated that such rules were enforced only rarely or never, indicating a critical gap. This suggests that while parents recognize the need for boundaries, consistent implementation remains a significant challenge, leaving many teens to navigate the complex digital world with limited guidance.
3. Substance Use Patterns and Future Directions
In line with the positive mental health data, the 2025 survey documented a broad decline in substance use among Utah students. Fewer teenagers reported having tried alcohol, cigarettes, vaping products, or other drugs compared to the 2023 survey. This reduction across multiple categories signals a positive shift in behaviors and attitudes toward substance use. However, the data was not uniformly positive. The survey identified a small but notable increase in the use of nicotine pouches, with the percentage of students reporting use rising from 1.4% to 3.1%. This specific uptick suggests that as some forms of substance use wane, others may emerge, requiring ongoing vigilance and adaptive prevention strategies. Another key insight for parents emerged from the data on alcohol consumption. Among those students who had consumed alcohol in the past year, the most common location for their first experience was at home, sometimes with and sometimes without parental permission, highlighting the home environment as a critical setting for prevention efforts.
Looking ahead, officials expressed cautious optimism about the survey’s findings, viewing them as a potential turning point rather than a conclusive victory. While the reversal of several negative trends is highly encouraging, it is still too early to determine if this positive movement will be sustained over the long term. The data from the next survey administration in 2027 will be crucial for confirming whether these improvements mark the beginning of a lasting positive trajectory. In the meantime, the current results provide actionable insights for parents and educators. Prevention administrators emphasized that the survey data empowers families and schools to implement targeted strategies. One of the most powerful recommendations highlighted was the importance of regular family meals, as data consistently shows a strong correlation between this simple practice and better outcomes for children in numerous other areas of their lives. Being intentional about creating these moments of connection can be a foundational step in fostering a safe and healthy environment for students.
A Foundation for Sustained Well-Being
The detailed findings from the 2025 survey provided a clear and encouraging narrative of progress for Utah’s youth. The reported downturns in suicidal ideation, depressive symptoms, and substance use offered tangible evidence that concerted efforts from communities, schools, and families could indeed shift outcomes in a positive direction. These improvements were not isolated incidents but part of a broader trend that pointed toward increased resilience and well-being among the state’s adolescents. However, the data also presented a nuanced reality where challenges, particularly those related to the pervasive influence of technology and inconsistent enforcement of screen time rules, persisted. The insights gained created a roadmap for the future, underscoring that continued progress depended on addressing these complex modern pressures with the same intentionality that likely drove the recent gains. The path forward involved not only celebrating the successes but also reinforcing the very strategies—such as strengthened family connections and proactive guidance—that had laid the groundwork for this promising reversal of trends.
