The Minnesota Student Survey (MSS) is conducted every three years and aims to provide insights into the world of students and their experiences. More than 135,000 students across 70% of Minnesota school districts participated in the 2022 survey. According to Minnesota Commissioner of Health, Jan Malcolm, the results indicate a crisis in student mental health. Some trends include: an 18 percent increase from 2016 in anxiety, depression or other mental health issues (highest levels since survey began in 1989); a larger percentage of Minnesota students are experiencing serious suicidal thoughts (and higher rates of suicide attempts amongst students who identify as LGBTQ+), and high rates of bullying especially for economically disadvantaged and LGBTQ+ students.
To read more about the findings of the survey, visit the article “Statewide survey finds MN students in mental health ‘crisis'” on MPR website.
To see comprehensive data reports from the survey, visit the Minnesota Department of Education page on the MSS.