GREENFIELD, MA (FRANKLIN COUNTY NOW) — The Communities That Care Coalition of Franklin County and the North Quabbin has released their 23rd annual survey of 1,300 middle and high school students, showing that drug and alcohol use among local youth is at historically low levels. The survey also found that we may be past the peak of the youth mental health crisis, with a slight decline in reported mental health problems this year.

From The Communities That Care Coalition:

Local Student Survey Data Shows Improvements in Drug and Alcohol Use, Family Connectedness
On Wednesday, October 15th, the Communities That Care Coalition of Franklin County and the North Quabbin (CTC) will release the results of their 23rd annual survey of middle and high school students. Over 1300 students were surveyed in 2025, capturing the experiences of more than two-thirds of all 8th, 10th, and 12th grade youth enrolled throughout the eleven public middle and high schools in the region. Since 2003, the Student Health Survey has provided a wealth of information on youth substance use, mental health, and the rapidly changing landscape of pressures young people in the community are facing. Here are the key findings from the 2025 data:
  • Drug and alcohol use among local youth continued to decline as it has over the last two decades, and is now at historically low levels.
  • Mental health problems such as depression and anxiety decreased slightly in 2025, indicating we may be past the peak of the youth mental health crisis. Nonetheless, mental health problems remain very elevated, with a significant rise that began in 2012.
  • Family attachment and a number of related measures (family management, family harmony, and opportunities for positive involvement in the family) improved substantially in 2025, continuing a positive trend that started about 15 years ago.
  • Engagement in school (measured by questions like “How often do you like being in school?” “How interesting are most of your courses to you” and “How often do you cut school?”) dropped in 2025, continuing a trend that started in 2012.  Nonetheless, the survey found that schools that had adopted and successfully enforced Phone Free Schools policies (where phones are off and away all day including lunch and passing periods) saw improvements in engagement in school.
A full report and summary presentation of the 2025 survey results can be found starting on October 15th at www.communitiesthatcarecoalition.com/surveys. Additional questions or requests for further analyses are welcome, and may be directed to Nick Hathaway, Evaluation Coordinator for the Communities That Care Coalition at the Franklin Regional Council of Governments (nhathaway@frcog.org or 413-774-1194 x207).