DPI Survey Finds Significant Mental Health Needs for Wisconsin Students

Wednesday, December 7th, 2022 -- 11:00 AM

(WRN) New data from the state Department of Public Instruction shows Wisconsin students have significant mental health needs. Abigail Swetz is communications director with DPI.

“When asked about suicide 18.1% of all students reported that they seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year. 1/4 of all female students reported this 48% of all lesbian gay or bisexual students reported seriously considering suicide, and 22.4% of them did attempt suicide.”

Owen Tortora with DPI says that’s not all attributable to the COVID pandemic 

“It's undeniable that the pandemic certainly played a role on the challenges students are facing but we just can't simply attribute that as the sole reason for some of the increases we saw.”

Starkly concerning statistics concerning suicide, in the state Department of Public Instruction’s 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey.

“We've essentially erased some of the positive trends in decreasing suicidality that took place throughout the early 2000s And what I mean by that is since 2011 Our overall rates of suicidality have increased.”

The data are contained in the 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey.

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