A recent survey by the San Antonio Department of Human Services’ San Antonio Youth Commission (SAYC) and the Metropolitan Health District’s Project Worth Teen Ambassadors provides insights into the mental health of local youth. This third annual survey, targeting residents aged 12 to 19, reveals both the difficulties they encounter and the progress being achieved in addressing these issues.
According to the official survey results by the City of San Antanio, 59 percent of teens previously cited school as a negative influence on their mental health, prompting local authorities and peer groups to respond with Teen Mental Health First Aid training. The survey results indicated positive progress, showing that youth are now experiencing reduced feelings of hopelessness and lower involvement in self-destructive behaviors. Launched this spring, the program trained teens to recognize and address mental health and substance abuse issues among their peers.
Tangible improvements are evident in the numbers: daily task performance interrupted by mental health issues dropped from 37 percent in 2022 to 25 percent in 2024, and those feeling helpless, hopeless, or indifferent decreased from 49 percent to 36 percent. More heartening still, reports of smoking, vaping, or drug use saw a sharp fall from 24 percent to 10 percent, along with declines in self-harm and suicidal thoughts among youths.
However, despite these positive trends, disparities persist, particularly affecting the LGBTQ+ community, which reports self-harm and Suicidal thoughts rates more than three times higher than their heterosexual counterparts. "The results of our teen mental health survey have continued to tell us that the issue of teen mental health is far too present in our community," Anna Hurd, a member of SAYC, expressed concern obtained by the City of San Antonio's press release. Audrey Samora, a Project Worth Teen Ambassador, shared these views, emphasizing the necessity for expanded mental health resources for young people in San Antonio.
The response from city officials suggests a commitment to building on the gains made. "I'm so thankful to the teens of San Antonio who responded to this survey so that we can better understand how to work together to meet their needs," Jessie Higgins, Chief Mental Health Officer of the Metropolitan Health District, affirmed in a statement from the survey release. Melody Woosley, the director of the Department of Human Services, supported this commitment, considering the survey an essential tool for developing supportive measures for teenagers throughout San Antonio.
