At the Brookline School Committee meeting on Oct. 9, 2025, Matt Dubois presented results from the district’s Brookline Youth Health Survey, saying the latest data show notable declines in student‑reported prolonged sadness and suicide consideration but also identifying persistent disparities that require targeted work.

Dubois told the committee the share of high school students reporting a two‑week period in the past year “where you stopped doing typical activities because you felt so sad or hopeless” fell from 28 percent in 2023 to 15 percent in 2025, and that the share who had “seriously considered suicide” dropped from 12 percent to 8 percent. He said the district also saw a drop in the share of students reporting they had made a suicide plan, from 7 percent in 2023 to 4 percent in 2025.

Why the numbers matter: the presentation framed these measures as early indicators of population mental health and as signals for how to target school‑based prevention and treatment. Dubois said the district uses multiple data sources — the youth health survey, universal screening instruments (PHQ‑4), attendance and referral data — to estimate how many students need intervention and to plan services.

Dubois described the PHQ‑4 screening results and caseload data as implying a continuing need for clinical support. He summarized his reading of the numbers: “Here at the high school, it’s at least 14 percent; at the middle school, at least 10 percent. So here it’s somewhere in the range of middle school that we want to make sure we have capacity for somewhere between 10 to 16 percent of students. And at the high school, up to 21 percent.” He added that the district currently serves roughly 15 percent of students in individual or group clinical services, which he described as “about 15 percent of our kids, which I want to name — that’s up to a thousand kids in our district.”

The presentation credited a multi‑year investment in clinicians, prevention programming and efforts to increase “belonging” for students. “When we invest time in this space, it is never at the sacrifice of academic rigor,” Dubois said, calling social‑emotional instruction a “life skill” that supports academic goals.

Committee members pressed on subgroup trends and programmatic implications. Jesse asked about a rise in the middle‑school measure between 2023 and 2025; Dubois replied that middle‑school students are asked some of these items for the first time earlier than high school and that “there are kids in middle school who are seriously considering suicide.” He emphasized that the district’s universal screening (which is not anonymous) plus other classroom‑level and peer referrals are used to identify students who need follow‑up.

Several committee members asked about disparities. Dubois highlighted that LGBTQ+ students, students with disabilities and some racial/ethnic groups continue to show higher rates of distress and that the district is using affinity groups, targeted supports and partnership referrals (community providers) to address those gaps. He pointed to the high school Queer Student Union and peer‑leader efforts as examples of protective programming, and he said the district planned to expand some curricula (for example, substance‑use lessons from Stanford’s Reach Lab) and to use peer leaders in anti‑vaping outreach.

Social media, sleep and substance use: Dubois reported that many students who screen positive for depression say they use social media multiple times per day and that among students endorsing depressive symptoms “over a quarter” report six or more hours of social‑media use daily. He linked heavy technology use to disrupted sleep and said the district is pursuing family workshops and parent education through external partners to help caregivers manage off‑campus technology use.

On substance use, Dubois showed long‑term declines in alcohol and lifetime marijuana use but reported vaping in the prior 30 days rose to 13 percent from 9 percent in 2023. He said more than half of students who reported vaping named “caffeine” as an ingredient, with others citing nicotine or cannabis; he noted a concerning share of students were unsure what the product contained.

What the district will do next: Dubois described planned follow‑ups including a detailed trends report (to be posted on the district website), a shift to two annual universal screenings (October and March), continued data‑driven evaluation of programs, targeted affinity‑group interventions, peer‑led messaging on vaping, and the pilot of the MGH “I Decide” curriculum for middle‑school students who present with substance concerns.

Superintendent Bella Wong thanked Dubois and staff for sharing slides in advance and for the breadth of the district’s response; Dubois repeatedly urged the committee to maintain investments in clinicians and prevention programming.

Outlook: The survey shows population‑level improvements since 2021 but also highlights groups that are not yet fully benefiting; committee members asked staff for clearer linkages between specific budgeted positions or programs and the equity gaps the data reveal so the committee can evaluate budget priorities going into FY27.

Ending note: Dubois reminded the committee the district will post a full Brookline Youth Health Survey report later this fall and that the universal screening and other monitoring tools will continue to guide service delivery and referral to community care.