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OPI presents 2025 youth risk behavior survey: some declines but concern on student mental health
Summary
The Office of Public Instruction presented 2025 Youth Risk Behavior Survey results showing declines on many risk behaviors over recent years but increases in several mental-health indicators and ongoing disparities for Native American students, prompting board discussion of survey timing and question coverage.
OPI staff Jenny Zeke and Sarah Musick presented Montana's 2025 Youth Risk Behavior Survey results to the Board of Public Education, reporting responses from 2,941 high-school students across 42 schools and noting both encouraging declines and worrying trends in student mental health.
Zeke outlined the sample and methodology and said the survey achieved a 95% student response rate (weighted) in participating schools and that the data include demographic breakdowns by sex, grade and race. "This youth risk behavior survey was completed by 2,941 Montana high school students in 42 Montana high schools," she said. She reported reductions in many behaviors across the last decade but highlighted that self-reported feelings of sadness or hopelessness and rates of suicidal ideation increased from 2005 to 2025 for some cohorts.
Board members asked how the survey can adapt to new delivery modes and new products (for example, nicotine pouches and THC pouches). Zeke said the OPI receives the CDC sample questionnaire and can add or remove questions within limits to preserve trend lines; she also said the survey window moved from February to January–May in 2025 and may have affected responses. Sarah Musick said OPI will take feedback on question content during instrument planning for the next cycle and encouraged board members to promote participation to ensure representative samples.
OPI will post the full report to its website and discuss follow-up and methodology for the 2027 cycle.
