Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Youth Survey topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Youth Voices Count: Wethersfield survey finds mental‑health and social‑media concerns alongside high adult support
Summary
The biennial Youth Voices Count in Wethersfield (Dec. 2025, ~87% response) found 14% of students reported thoughts of self‑harm, 8.6% reported serious suicidal thoughts in the past year (about 117 students), and 32% reported difficulty stopping social media; presenters said results guide grant applications and prevention programming.
Town prevention coordinator Carissa Peckrell and consultants Bonnie and Luke Smith presented results from the Youth Voices Count survey (grades 7–12) at the Wethersfield Board of Education workshop. The survey was administered in December 2025 and had an overall response rate of about 87%.
Key findings presented included: about 14% of students reported thoughts of self‑harm in the past year and 7.5% reported having harmed themselves; 8.6% (about 117 students) indicated serious thoughts of suicide, 49 of those reported having made a plan and 10 reported attempts; 26% of students reported feeling lonely often; and approximately 32% said they had difficulty stopping social media use. Substance‑use results showed 13% of high school students reported having had alcohol in their lifetime (beyond just a sip) and vaping and marijuana were also reported, with lifetime gambling at about 9% for high school students.
Bonnie Smith noted the survey now includes comparisons to a District Reference Group (DRG) and a statewide dataset of nearly 75,000 Connecticut youth. The presenters emphasized that the data both highlight areas for prevention and show strengths: roughly 92% of students reported having at least one adult they can talk to and an increasing share say they feel comfortable seeking help from school staff.
During board Q&A, Carissa Peckrell said survey results are used to design and prioritize prevention programming and are commonly required to support state and federal grant applications. "A lot of our grant opportunities are really kind of fueled by the data from this survey," Peckrell said.
Board members and staff said the findings will inform programming and budgeting decisions. The presenters said additional data and follow‑up reports will be shared as the district and town use the results to target services and pursue funding.
