SBIRT Newsletters

Parent/Guardian SBIRT Newsletters

Please find below all SBIRT newsletters for the 2025-26 school year.

September 2025 – Anxiety

Seattle Public Schools SBIRT data suggests that 15% of 6-9th graders experienced symptoms of anxiety in the 2024-25 school year.

Overview

It can be difficult to see the difference between regular anxiety and problematic anxiety, especially in teens with high stress. Anxiety can become a problem when it has no reasonable cause, interferes with daily routines, or causes physical symptoms.*

Facts

Symptoms of anxiety can have major impacts on a student’s day. Beyond interfering with daily life (Like sleep, eating, and hygiene routines), anxiety can also affect a student’s academic performance, social outcomes, physical health, and even their safety.**

Question

“What are students anxious about?”
In SBIRT brief interventions, students have emphasized academic and social factors as key sources of anxiety. However, causes of anxiety vary and it’s important to ask each teen about their feelings individually.

Call to Action

You can support your child by proactively helping them to develop positive social, coping, and problem-solving skills, and by encouraging access to mental health support. Teens can turn to coping mechanisms like substance use or self-harm when they lack the skills to cope with their feelings.**

* World Health Organization (WHO), 2024
** World Health Organization (WHO), 2024

Need immediate help?

Crisis Connections

The Lifeline 988

HearMeWA