Superintendent Arntzen Releases Montana’s 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey Results

• Brian O'Leary
• February 09 2024

HELENA – Superintendent Arntzen has released the statewide results for the 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), which assesses six health-risk behaviors that result in the most significant morbidity, mortality, and social problems among students. All public schools in Montana with students in grades 9 through 12 were eligible to be selected for inclusion in the sample. The 2023 Montana YRBS was completed by 4,467 students in 50 public high schools during the spring of 2023. The school response rate was 100%, the student response rate was 85%.

“It is important to allow our Montana students to let their voice be heard,” said Superintendent Elsie Arntzen. “There are still challenges with the mental well-being of our children. Through my Montana Hope initiative, I have focused on improving the well-being of our students by adding school climate and family and community engagement to our school quality rules.”

The 2023 YRBS consisted of 97 questions that assessed the following behaviors:

• unintentional injuries and violence
• tobacco and nicotine use
• alcohol and other drug use
• sexual behaviors
• nutrition and dietary behaviors
• physical activity 

According to the survey:

• 43% of high school students reported feelings of sadness or hopelessness for two or more weeks in a row (32% males; 54% females). This percentage has been increasing over the last 10 years, with 2021 to 2023 being the lowest increase at 1.4%.
• In the 30 days before the survey, just over 31% of students reported that their mental health was not good most of the time or always. Females were more likely than males to experience poor mental health, including stress, anxiety, and depression (44% females, 21% males). This percentage remains unchanged from last year.
• 26% of students seriously considered suicide, which is the highest percentage since 1991 at 27%.
• 22% made a plan and 15% attempted suicide. The percentage of students who made a plan and attempted suicide is the highest in the last 32 years.
• Among students who attempted suicide, 32% had an attempt that required medical treatment. This percentage has not changed from last year and is the third lowest since 1993.

The survey shows that:

• 58% of students reported texting or e-mailing while driving, which is the highest percentage in the last 10 years.
• 54% of students reported using the Internet or apps on their cell phone while driving, which has increased by eight points in the last four years.
• 72% of students reported spending three or more hours on “screen time” per day. This percentage remains unchanged from last year and is six points higher than in 2021.

In the 30 days prior to the survey:

• 9% of students smoked a cigarette, which is the highest percentage since 2017 at 12%.
• 45% used an electronic vapor product, which is the lowest percentage in the last eight years
• 6% used smokeless tobacco, which is the second lowest percentage since 1991. The lowest was 5% in 2021.
• 6% smoked cigars, cigarillos, or little cigars, which is the second lowest percentage since 1991. The lowest was 5% in 2021.
• 29% drank alcohol, which is the lowest since 1993.
• 21% used marijuana, which is virtually unchanged in the last 20 years.

School-level data was released to schools before the statewide data release and is not publicly available. To protect the information of Montana children, student-level data is not available. County and regional data are available on the OPI website.

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