Three out of four Washington 10th graders reported strong feelings of hope in 2025, and teen alcohol use has dropped to a quarter of what it was 15 years ago.

LGBTQ+ and Native students are still bullied at nearly twice the rate of their peers.

Those are among the key findings from the 2025 Healthy Youth Survey, released April 29 by four state agencies: OSPI, the Health Care Authority, the Department of Health, and the Liquor and Cannabis Board.

More than 213,000 students in grades 6–12 participated across 872 schools statewide. The survey is voluntary and does not collect students' names.

Among 10th graders statewide, according to the official HYS press release:

• About 75% expressed strong feelings of hope, up from 71% in 2023.
• Nearly 26% reported depressive feelings, down from about 30% in 2023.
• 29% reported feeling anxious, down from 31% in 2023.
• 61% said they have an adult they can turn to when feeling sad or hopeless.

Students who reported having a trusted adult were less likely to report anxiety, self-harm, or suicidal thoughts than peers without that support.

School engagement also climbed. In 2025, 79% of 10th graders said they tried to do their best work in school "often" or "almost always," up from 74% in 2023. And 70% said what they learn in school will be important later in life, up from 65% two years earlier.

Only about 7% of 10th graders reported drinking alcohol in the past month, according to the HYS press release. In 2010, that figure was 28%. Cannabis use dropped to about 6%, down from 8% in 2023, and vaping fell to about 6% from roughly 8%.

Statewide, 15% of 10th graders reported being bullied or harassed in 2025, down from 24% in 2010. Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender students, however, reported bullying at nearly twice the rate of their peers, according to Cascade PBS reporting on the results. Native students reported similar elevated rates.

Sarah Mariani, who manages the Health Care Authority's Substance Use Disorder Prevention and Mental Health Promotion section, told Cascade PBS that school-based supports are a likely factor in the overall improvements.

"Youth are doing pretty well, especially in school," Mariani said. "And so where we have made efforts to enhance supports in schools, it seems that some of those efforts may be contributing to the success of youth health and well-being."

Thurston County results are publicly available at AskHYS.net. School district and building-level data for Olympia and Tumwater require a login on the same site.

The Olympia School District has participated in past cycles of the survey and lists it as a resource on its departments page.

Families who want local breakdowns can request access through the AskHYS.net dashboard or contact their district directly.