A mental health survey administered to Seattle-area middle and high schoolers is putting their sensitive personal information at risk, according to a February investigation from The Seattle Times and the education-focused outlet The 74. While parents and schools were sold on the survey as a tool to identify struggling students, a public records request showed just how invasive many survey questions are.
The survey, called Check Yourself, takes around 12 minutes to complete and asks students about general demographic features, along with questions about their mental health. For example, it asks students, "During the past year, did you ever seriously think about ending your life?" According to The 74, King County, which includes Seattle, has spent more than $21 million on the survey and related mental health supports since 2018.
"We know their school, gender, age on a certain date, grade level, language they speak, their dogs' names, friends' names, race, their unique interests, what sports they play, if they are religious, and anything else they feel like writing in—plus their whole mental health record," Stephanie Hager, a Seattle-area parent, told reporter Linda Jacobson. Hager is part of a group of parents who sought to highlight the survey's security vulnerabilities by successfully obtaining student data through a public records request. Hager says she identified six different students based on the information they provided in the survey and a quick internet search—highlighting just how easily students can be de-anonymized.
