Maryland is seeing small improvements in mental health among middle and high school students, according to its latest Youth Risk Behavior Survey.

The annual report surveys 60,000 students in Maryland about their health and habits.

The state saw a 2% decrease in students feeling hopeless or sad from 2021 to 2022, however, about one-third of all students still reported feeling those symptoms.

“While we see some encouraging results, the data shows a clear link between multiple adverse childhood experiences and increased risk behaviors," said Maryland Health Secretary Dr. Laura Herrera Scott. “We are continuing to address the findings through youth-centered health programming, education and outreach to support mental health, reduce tobacco, alcohol, and drug use and protect youth from bullying and violence."

The statistics come at a time when mental health issues are particularly acute among teens. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 29% of male and 57% of female students reported feeling sadness nationally.

LGBTQ+ students reported they often did not feel safe talking to an adult about their issues. About 68% reported sometimes, rarely, or never feeling that they could talk to an adult about their feelings. That’s compared to 54% of heterosexual students.

There was some good news on tobacco issues. Maryland reported its lowest numbers of tobacco use among students.

Only 3% reported smoking cigarettes or using smokeless tobacco. A total of 14% said they used e-cigarettes.

This year was the first year Maryland tracked if students were using menthol products. About half of the tobacco products were menthol.

That’s particularly important as the Biden administration is trying to ban menthol cigarettes because of their appeal to teens.