Share of high school students who said they felt sad or hopeless for at least two consecutive weeks in the last year

Youth mental health has begun to improve after major pandemic dips, new data shows.  [Axios]

Why it matters: The COVID-19 pandemic laid bare students' struggles as well as a fractured system to help them navigate recovery.

• Some of the recovery, though, trails pre-pandemic mental health metrics.

State of play: In seven of nine states identified by Axios with published 2023 data, surveys showed lower rates of sadness and hopelessness.

• Overall, dedicating more resources to student well-being during the pandemic has started to pay off, Kathleen Ethier, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division of Adolescent and School Health, told Axios.

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