Almost one-third of middle and high school students surveyed in Tompkins County said they feel depressed or sad on most days and more than a quarter said that “sometimes I think life is not worth it.” Many Tompkins youth also feel that they are a “failure” and “no good at all.”

The Community-Level Youth Development Evaluation (CLYDE) surveyed 3,879 students in grades 7-12 in Tompkins County’s six school districts in October 2025 on behavior issues including mental health, bullying, and alcohol, drug, marijuana, tobacco, and vaping use.

The survey was organized by the Community Coalition for Healthy Youth, which represents agencies, schools, government, businesses, families, and concerned citizens in Tompkins County. Detailed results can be viewed on the Youth Development Dashboard for Tompkins County, which was updated to reflect the 2025 CLYDE survey results.

In responding to the question, “In the past year, have you felt depressed or sad MOST days, even if you felt okay sometimes?,” 32 percent of the CLYDE survey respondents answered “Yes.” That compared with 35.4 percent who responded that way in the 2023 survey.

Among 12th graders, 33.3 percent answered “yes,” a significant decline from 39.4 percent two years earlier.

In responding to the question, “In the past year, have you felt anxious or worried MOST days, even if you felt okay sometimes?,” 43.8 percent of respondents answered “Yes.” That compared with the 47 percent who answered that way in the 2023 survey.

Looking for help? DOWNLOAD the 2026 Mental Health Support and Crisis Services guide for Tompkins County

In positive news, the 2025 survey results generally signaled improvements in the mental health measures since the 2023 and 2021 CLYDE surveys.

According to the 2025 survey, 27.9 percent of Tompkins 7-12 students said that “sometimes I think that life is not worth it,” compared to 33.4 percent in 2023; 38.2 percent agreed with the statement that “at times I think I am no good at all,” down from 44 percent two years earlier; and 25.2 percent said they “are inclined to think that I am a failure,” compared to 29 percent in 2023.

Still, the rates represented an increase over levels in a Tompkins survey a decade ago. In 2012, the percentage of surveyed students reporting depression or sadness was 28.7 percent; 21.3 percent of students felt life was not worth it.

The Tompkins survey included a question about suicide for the first time. The results showed that 10.9 percent of respondents said they were “experiencing thoughts of suicide,” with the percentages staying fairly constant across 7th through 12th grades.

As with the previous CLYDE survey in 2021, there were sharp variances by gender, race, and ethnicity.

A notable trend in the mental health survey results was that students identifying as an “other gender identity”—such as transgender and nonbinary—and Black girls were almost twice as likely as their peers to report depression and hopelessness.

According to the survey, 59.8 percent of those identifying as “other gender identity,” 48.1 percent of Black girls, 39.7 percent of all Black youth, 38.8 percent of all girls, and 39.8 percent of Hispanic/Latino youth signaled depression or sadness; compared to 22.7 percent of all boys.

The survey showed that 63.4 percent of all other gender identities, 33.9 percent of Black girls, 30.1 percent of all Black youth, and 33.3 percent of Hispanic/Latino youth had felt life was not worth it; compared to 18.6 percent of all boys.

Similarly, 74 percent of all other gender identities, 50.4 percent of Black girls, 40.1 percent of all Black youth, and 44.8 percent of Hispanic/Latino youth felt they were not good at all; compared to 27.5 percent of all boys.

About a quarter of students reported being bullied, with the greatest prevalence occurring in middle school grades. Overall, 27.9 percent of students said they were bullied at school; 20.2 percent bullied outside school; and 18.2 percent bullied electronically.

Whereas the percentages of seniors reporting being bullied in the three categories were 18.1 percent, 13.9 percent, and 16.1 percent, respectively, the extent of bullying was much higher for 7th and 8th graders. The survey results said that 33.5 percent, 24.1 percent, and 17.7 percent of 7th graders reported bulling at school, outside school, and electronically, respectively.

The results showed little change in bullying behavior since the previous CLYDE survey two years earlier, when 27.7 percent, 20.8 percent, and 20.4 percent of students said they were bullied at school, outside school, and electronically, respectively.

The CLYDE survey recorded other behavior traits such as prevalence of alcohol and drug use. It found that 26.6 percent of 7-12 grade students had consumed alcoholic beverages, with the figure rising to 50.8 percent among 12th graders. The survey results said that 13.1 percent of students reported consuming alcohol in the previous 30 days; 29.5 percent of 12^th graders reported usage during this period.

Just 12.7 percent of respondents said they had used marijuana, although the figure was almost triple that at 33.4 percent for high school seniors.

The survey said that 4.1 percent reported use of opiate pain relievers without a doctor’s orders. There was virtually no reporting of heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, or hallucinogens use.

The survey showed that 8.8 percent of students had smoked a cigarette, but only 3.6 percent had done so in the past 30 days. Seniors’ lifetime use was 20 percent, with 9.1 percent saying they had smoked in the past month.

The figures were higher for vaping. Overall, 12.5 percent of students said they had smoked nicotine e-cigarettes, including 6.6 percent in the past 30 days. For 12th graders, it was 25.2 percent and 13.4 percent, respectively. The survey found that 10.5 percent of students had vaped using marijuana, 5.1 percent in the past month. For seniors, it was 25.3 percent and 11.8 percent, respectively.

The survey identified youth risk factors, including low commitment to school, family conflict, favorable attitudes toward antisocial behavior, and favorable parental attitudes toward drug use. Protective factors included social skills, opportunities and rewards for prosocial involvement, family attachment, and belief in the moral order.

DOWNLOAD Tompkins County CLYDE Survey 2025 Report

DOWNLOAD Tompkins County CLYDE 2025 Cross-Tabulation Report

According to survey developer Catalyst Insight, LLC, its surveys collect current data on youth substance use prevalence, developmental risk and protective factors, and other key community characteristics. It says that the results are intended to be used for community assessment, coalition and community capacity building, program planning, and evaluation purposes. The data gathered through CLYDE can be leveraged to change norms and practices that will improve overall community health over time, it says.

The CLYDE mental health findings compared favorably with the national Youth Risk Behavior Survey 2013-2023 issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the CDC survey of students in grades 9-12, 40 percent of American high schoolers reported “persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness” in the previous 12 months.

The CLYDE survey did not include questions about sexual violence. The CDC survey found declines in sexual assault against teen girls. The survey found that in 2023, 13 percent of girls reported being forced to have sexual intercourse, compared to 14 percent in 2021.

If you or someone you know feels the need to speak with a mental health professional, you can call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 9-8-8, or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741-741.