Mental Health
Torrington's Youth - What's Trending
Data from Youth Voices Survey Years: 2023 & 2025
2023
2023 Youth Voices Count Survey
Student Mental Wellbeing:
Anxiety: For grades 6-12, 29.5% of youth reported feelings of anxiety in the past year as occurring almost always (16.3%) and always (13.2%). 30.9% of youth report their feelings of anxiety make things difficult for them in their lives always or almost always.
Sources of Anxiety: For grades 6-8, the most reported sources of stress or worry in their lives are academics, post-high school plans, and peers. For grades 9-12, it was academics, post-high school plans, and schedule. For all grades, social media and financial security ranked as the lowest source of anxiety among the provided choices.
Self-Harm: 18.0% of youth in grades 6-8 reported having thoughts of self-harm and 11.2% report having harmed themselves in the past year. For grades 9-12, 17.3% reported having thoughts of self-harm and 11.2% report having harmed themselves in the past year.
Depression: 22.9% of youth in grades 6-8 and 24.6% of youth in grades 9-12 reported having “felt sad or hopeless for two or more weeks in a row so much it stopped me from doing my usual activities” in the past year.
Suicidal Ideation in the Past Year: 9.7% of youth in grades 6-8 and 10.9% of youth in grades 9-12 reported having considered attempting suicide within the past year.
Comfort Seeking Help by Source:
Comfort Seeking Help: For grades 6-12, the sources youth felt most comfortable seeking help from were parents (61.5%) and friends (54.7%).
Having a Trusted Adult: 89.7% of youth in grades 6-12 agreed with the statement, “I have at least one adult in my life that I can share my thoughts and feelings with.”
Community and School Safety: For grades 6-12, 79.5% of youth agreed with the statement, “I feel safe in my community” and 65.6% agree with the statement, “I feel safe at school.”
Bullying:
Bullying Frequency: 55.1% of youth in grades 6-12 report having been bullied in their lifetime. 7.6% experienced this 1 to 5 days in the past month, 3.0% 6 to 20 days in the past month and 2.9% for 21 days or more in the past month.
Bullying Types: The types of bullying most frequently reported among youth grades 6-12 were mean names or comments, exclusion, and rumors.
Bullying Locations: Bullying most frequently occurs in the hallways, classroom, at lunch, and online.
2025
2025 Youth Voices Count Survey
Student Mental Wellbeing:
Anxiety: For grades 7-12, 53.2% of youth reported feelings of anxiety in the past year as occurring almost always (15.5%) and always (9.1%). 54.7% of youth report their feelings of anxiety make things difficult for them in their lives always or almost always.
Sources of Anxiety: For grades 7-8, the most reported sources of stress or worry in their lives are academics, post-high school plans, and peers. For grades 9-12, it was academics, post-high school plans, and schedule. For all grades, social media and financial security ranked as the lowest source of anxiety among the provided choices.
Self-Harm: Questions not asked in the 2025 survey.
Depression: Questions not asked in the 2025 survey.
Suicidal Ideation in the Past Year: Questions not asked in the 2025 survey.
Other Emotional Health Indicators in the Past Year (% Responding "Yes")
Sad or Hopeless: 21.5 % of youth in grades 7-8 and 22.0% of youth in grades 9-12 responded "Yes" to feeling Sad or Hopeless (2 weeks in a row).
Felt Lonely Often: 35.9% of youth in grades 7-8 and 39.1% of youth in grades 9-12 responded "Yes" to Felt Lonely Often.
Comfort Seeking Help by Source:
Comfort Seeking Help: For grades 7-12, the sources youth felt most comfortable seeking help from were parents (62.0%) and friends (51.4%).
Having a Trusted Adult: 89.4% of youth in grades 7-12 agreed with the statement, “I have at least one adult in my life that I can share my thoughts and feelings with.”
Community and School Safety: For grades 7-12, 81.5% of youth agreed with the statement, “I feel safe in my community” and 72.8% agree with the statement, “I feel safe at school.”
Bullying:
Bullying Frequency: 41.8% of youth in grades 7-12 report having been bullied in their lifetime. 6.3% experienced this Occasionally (1 to 5 days) in the past month, 4.1% experienced this Frequently (6 to 20 days) in the past month and 4.0% Almost Every Day (21 days or more) in the past month.
Bullying Types: The types of bullying most frequently reported among youth grades 7-12 were mean names or comments, exclusion, and rumors.
Bullying Locations: Bullying most frequently occurs in the classroom, hallways, at lunch, and online.
THE ADOLESCENT BRAIN IS VULNERABLE
The young brain is still developing, and is extremely sensitive to the effects of addictive substances. Not only are young brains at a greater risk of developing an addiction, an addiction to one substance can further increase the risk of becoming addicted to other substances. World Science Festival published a fantastic clip discussing the ability for nicotine to prime the brain for further addictions.
Trauma & Youth Mental Health
Hundreds of Torrington teens are struggling with mental health issues.
Teens perceive the highest levels of their day-to-day stress or worry to come from Academics.
Torrington Youth - Risk Factors
Some Torrington teens have serious risk factors existent in their lives. In the past year...
TAPP is a community coalition whose mission is to promote healthy life choices through collaboration, education, support and training. We engage and mobilize youth, parents and community partners to prevent substance misuse, foster emotional health, and maintain a safe and healthy community.
58 High Street, Torrington, CT 06790
(959) 799-1445
torringtonapp@gmail.com
