Thirty-eight percent of U.S. high school students report burnout, defined as mental and emotional exhaustion, in 2023. Stress severe enough to interfere with daily activities shows up at least once a year for 43% of students. The evidence links that load to academic distress in grades 9 through 12, where 42% report stress tied to school pressures.
Key Takeaways
- 16% of U.S. high school students reported binge drinking alcohol in 2021 (CDC YRBS 2021; coping with stress indicator)
- 42% of U.S. students in grades 9–12 reported academic-related distress (Healthy Minds Study, 2022), indicating symptom burden consistent with burnout
- 43% of high school students reported experiencing stress severe enough to interfere with daily activities at least once in the past year in the U.S. (American College Health Association—National College Health Assessment includes adolescent-like measure in school surveys; stress interference metric)
- 38% of U.S. high school students said they experienced ‘burnout’ (defined as mental and emotional exhaustion) in 2023 (American Psychological Association, Stress in America—High School Students)
- 87% of adolescents in a 2019 meta-analysis reported at least one risk factor for mental health problems linked to school stress, with school climate and academic pressure among the most implicated domains (meta-analytic evidence on adolescent mental health risk)
- 55% of adolescents in a review of school-based interventions reported that academic stress contributes to mental health symptoms (reviewed syntheses of adolescent mental health and school stress)
- 2.7x higher odds of chronic absenteeism among students with mental health difficulties (U.S. nationally representative analysis; CDC/NCES-linked evidence), indicating mental strain that can include burnout
- $2.3 billion annual U.S. school-related mental health service spending shortfall estimated in 2021 (RAND—youth mental health access/care system analysis), representing economic impact of unmet needs that can amplify burnout
- $299 billion estimated annual U.S. cost of mental illness to society (not limited to youth) for 2019 (National Academies of Sciences report citing cost estimates), reflecting large downstream costs related to adolescent burnout
- 24% of students who reported mental health challenges were more likely to be unemployed/struggling later (study evidence on long-term outcomes; meta-analysis on adolescent mental health and later-life outcomes)
- 20% growth in U.S. youth telehealth mental health visits from 2020 to 2021 (HHS/RTI telehealth utilization analysis; telebehavioral health growth)
- 31% of U.S. teens reported that stress affected their ability to focus in 2023
- 68% of students and/or families reported difficulty accessing mental health services due to cost barriers (YouthTruth survey reporting, 2022)
- $2.3 billion annual U.S. school-related mental health service spending shortfall estimated for 2021
- $190 billion estimated annual U.S. cost of youth mental health conditions due to lost productivity and other downstream impacts (2021 estimate in a global/reputable economic assessment)
Nearly half of U.S. high schoolers face burnout or severe stress, harming focus, attendance, and wellbeing.
Related reading
01 · Category
Mental Health Outcomes3 stats
01
16% of U.S. high school students reported binge drinking alcohol in 2021 (CDC YRBS 2021; coping with stress indicator)
02
42% of U.S. students in grades 9–12 reported academic-related distress (Healthy Minds Study, 2022), indicating symptom burden consistent with burnout
03
43% of high school students reported experiencing stress severe enough to interfere with daily activities at least once in the past year in the U.S. (American College Health Association—National College Health Assessment includes adolescent-like measure in school surveys; stress interference metric)
Interpretation
Mental Health Outcomes Interpretation
Mental health outcomes among U.S. high school students look especially concerning, with 42% reporting academic-related distress and 43% saying stress has disrupted daily activities at least once, suggesting stress and its mental burden are widespread rather than isolated.
02 · Category
Prevalence Rates1 stats
01
38% of U.S. high school students said they experienced ‘burnout’ (defined as mental and emotional exhaustion) in 2023 (American Psychological Association, Stress in America—High School Students)
Interpretation
Prevalence Rates Interpretation
In the Prevalence Rates category, 38% of U.S. high school students reported experiencing burnout in 2023, showing that mental and emotional exhaustion is widespread rather than rare.
03 · Category
Drivers & Risk Factors4 stats
01
87% of adolescents in a 2019 meta-analysis reported at least one risk factor for mental health problems linked to school stress, with school climate and academic pressure among the most implicated domains (meta-analytic evidence on adolescent mental health risk)
02
55% of adolescents in a review of school-based interventions reported that academic stress contributes to mental health symptoms (reviewed syntheses of adolescent mental health and school stress)
03
2.7x higher odds of chronic absenteeism among students with mental health difficulties (U.S. nationally representative analysis; CDC/NCES-linked evidence), indicating mental strain that can include burnout
04
63% of teens who seek mental health care report that getting help takes too long (American Academy of Pediatrics—youth mental health access survey), reflecting service gaps that worsen burnout
Interpretation
Drivers & Risk Factors Interpretation
For the Drivers and Risk Factors behind high school student burnout, school stress is strongly linked to mental health risk, with 87% of adolescents reporting at least one risk factor and 55% pointing to academic stress, which is also reflected in the 2.7 times higher odds of chronic absenteeism among students with mental health difficulties.
04 · Category
Economic & Costs4 stats
01
$2.3 billion annual U.S. school-related mental health service spending shortfall estimated in 2021 (RAND—youth mental health access/care system analysis), representing economic impact of unmet needs that can amplify burnout
02
$299 billion estimated annual U.S. cost of mental illness to society (not limited to youth) for 2019 (National Academies of Sciences report citing cost estimates), reflecting large downstream costs related to adolescent burnout
03
24% of students who reported mental health challenges were more likely to be unemployed/struggling later (study evidence on long-term outcomes; meta-analysis on adolescent mental health and later-life outcomes)
04
3.2 days average additional absence per semester for students with higher stress/mental health symptoms (school absenteeism studies; longitudinal absenteeism and mental health research)
Interpretation
Economic & Costs Interpretation
Economic costs are already enormous as a 2021 estimated $2.3 billion shortfall in U.S. school mental health spending and a 2019 $299 billion annual societal burden of mental illness are compounded by student outcomes like 3.2 extra days of absence per semester for those with higher stress and a 24% higher likelihood of struggling later.
More related reading
05 · Category
Access & Support1 stats
01
20% growth in U.S. youth telehealth mental health visits from 2020 to 2021 (HHS/RTI telehealth utilization analysis; telebehavioral health growth)
Interpretation
Access & Support Interpretation
With U.S. youth telehealth mental health visits rising 20% from 2020 to 2021, it suggests that improving access to support through telebehavioral services is playing an increasingly important role in addressing high school student burnout.
06 · Category
School Outcomes1 stats
01
31% of U.S. teens reported that stress affected their ability to focus in 2023
Interpretation
School Outcomes Interpretation
For the School Outcomes angle, the fact that 31% of U.S. teens said stress affected their ability to focus in 2023 shows burnout is directly undermining students’ attention and learning performance.
07 · Category
Access & Care2 stats
01
68% of students and/or families reported difficulty accessing mental health services due to cost barriers (YouthTruth survey reporting, 2022)
02
$2.3 billion annual U.S. school-related mental health service spending shortfall estimated for 2021
Interpretation
Access & Care Interpretation
For the Access & Care category, 68% of students and families struggle to reach mental health services because of cost barriers, and this is reflected in an estimated $2.3 billion annual U.S. school-related mental health spending shortfall for 2021.
08 · Category
Economic Impact7 stats
01
$190 billion estimated annual U.S. cost of youth mental health conditions due to lost productivity and other downstream impacts (2021 estimate in a global/reputable economic assessment)
02
$820per student annual cost associated with mental health related absenteeism and reduced performance in a U.S. school cost model (2020–2022 model study)
03
6.8% of U.S. total disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) are attributable to mental disorders (Global Burden of Disease, 2019)
04
1 in 5 (20%) youth mental health issues impair education and employment trajectories, increasing lifetime economic burden (OECD youth mental health synthesis, 2022)
05
1.5 million (estimated) U.S. teens experience severe depression annually, driving costly downstream outcomes (U.S. peer-reviewed epidemiology synthesis, 2018–2020)
06
24% of students who report mental health challenges are more likely to experience later work difficulties (meta-analytic evidence; educational-to-employment impacts)
07
25% of U.S. adults report having experienced anxiety at some point, and anxiety disorders are among the top mental health drivers of lost work time (National Center for Health Statistics reporting in a reputable statistical compendium)
Interpretation
Economic Impact Interpretation
In the economic impact frame, the data show that youth mental health conditions cost the United States hundreds of billions each year, with a 2021 estimate of $190 billion in lost productivity and downstream effects alongside $820 per student annually in school-related productivity losses, underscoring how student burnout translates into major real-world economic burden.
report visual · Comparison
How common burnout and related distress are among high school students
A large share of U.S. high school students report burnout or stress severe enough to disrupt daily life.
43% of high school students reported experiencing stress severe enough to interfere with daily activities at least once 43%
42% of U.S. students in grades 9–12 reported academic-related distress (Healthy Minds Study, 2022), indicating symptom b
42%
38% of U.S. high school students said they experienced ‘burnout’ (defined as mental and emotional exhaustion) in 2023 (A
38%
source-verifiedapa.org · healthymindsnetwork.org · ncbi.nlm.nih.gov2023
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Sophie Moreland. (2026, February 13). High School Student Burnout Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/high-school-student-burnout-statistics
MLA
Sophie Moreland. "High School Student Burnout Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/high-school-student-burnout-statistics.
Chicago
Sophie Moreland. 2026. "High School Student Burnout Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/high-school-student-burnout-statistics.
Sources & references
23 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+5 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)