OLYMPIA, Wash. — The 2025 Healthy Youth Survey shows youth well-being stayed steady, with better school engagement, improving mental health indicators and low substance use across the state, according to the Washington State Department of Health (DOH).
Among 10th grade participants, 79% said they tried to do their best work in school often or almost always, up from 74% in 2023. Another 70% said what they learn in school would matter later in life, compared with 65% in 2023.
State Superintendent Chris Reykdal pointed to that shift in school life.
“It can’t be overstated how encouraging it is to see that our young people continue to report improved academic and health outcomes. When students feel supported at school and they know how to access additional help when they need it, their academic outcomes improve. Washington State has been intentional about supporting whole-child wellness and these survey results are a strong indicator of progress,” said State Superintendent Chris Reykdal said in a release.
The results also showed more positive signs in mental health for 10th graders. In 2025, 29% reported feeling anxious, down from 31% in 2023, and nearly 26% reported depressive feelings, down from about 30%.
About 75% expressed strong feelings of hope, up from 71% in 2023. Officials also reported 61% said they had an adult they could turn to when they felt sad or hopeless, and those students were less likely to report anxiety, self-harm or suicidal thoughts and attempts.
Teesha Kirschbaum, director of the Health Care Authority’s Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery, said the trends reflected broad support efforts.
“These trends reflect the strength and adaptability of Washington’s providers, communities, youth and families. We’re encouraged to see progress in youth mental health and continued declines in youth substance use. This reinforces the importance of prevention efforts like community-based programs, youth engagement and early intervention that support behavioral health, reduce risk factors and expand access to care across the state,” said Teesha Kirschbaum.
Substance use stayed low among 10th graders, according to the survey. About 6% reported cannabis use in the past 30 days, 7% reported alcohol use and 6% reported e-cigarette or vape use.
Use of other drugs also remained rare. About 1% reported using a painkiller to get high in the past 30 days and less than 1% reported using an illegal drug, not counting alcohol, tobacco or cannabis.
Liquor and Cannabis Board Director Will Lukela tied that trend to prevention work.
“This is the result of multi-pronged strategies to limit youth access that include compliance and enforcement efforts in retail businesses as well as effective collaboration and education at the state and local levels. These programs help prevent youth from ever starting to use drugs,” said Will Lukela.
More than 213,000 Washington students in grades six through 12 took part in the voluntary survey. State agencies said the survey does not collect student names or codes that could connect responses to a specific student.