Some 22% of teens in military families reported low mental well-being, nearly 30% reported thoughts of self-harm within the previous six months, and 16% said they had harmed themselves at least once during that time period, according to a survey released Tuesday by the National Military Family Association.

However, in what the group’s CEO called a “bright spot” most respondents (70%) reported moderate well-being. Still, about 2% of the approximately 800 respondents reported making a suicide plan in the prior three months.

Teens living in military families also have faced food insecurity at higher rates than their civilian peers for five consecutive years, according to NMFA’s findings. Slightly over one-third of respondents reported some level of food insecurity in the previous month, which exceeds the 20% rate reported in 2023 for military families overall.

Teen mental health is a concern nationwide, regardless of military status. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found in 2023 that 20% of high school students had seriously considered attempting suicide and around 10% had attempted it in the 12 months preceding the survey.

The CDC called on schools that year to prevent and reduce the negative impact that violence and other trauma had on teens.

To address teen mental health concerns, the CDC suggested a range of improvements for schools, including providing quality health education, creating positive environments promoting mental health, and increasing school connectedness through mentoring, clubs and community outreach.

However, military-connected teens face unique challenges, NMFA said on Tuesday. They, on average, experience four parental deployments, five permanent change-of-station moves and four different schools, according to the survey. They also often live with at least one wounded parent and are tasked with helping them.

“One of the things that we have seen year over year is that the well-being of military teens is not comparable to their civilian peers,” said Besa Pinchotti, CEO of NMFA, in a briefing Tuesday introducing the report. “Well-being is consistently lower for military kids every year.”

Read the full article about mental health support for teens in military families by Naaz Modan at K-12 Dive.