Emergency department visits for suspected teen suicide attempts increased significantly last year compared to 2019, highlighting the impact of the pandemic on mental health , according to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). United.
Suicide attempts began to rise among teens ages 12 to 17 , especially girls.
Social distancing
Between July 26 and August 22, 2020, the average number of visits for girls of this age was 26 percent higher than in the same period in 2019.
Between February 21 and March 20, 2021, it had skyrocketed an alarming 51 percent compared to the same period in 2020. For children of the same age, the increase in emergency room visits was Four percent.
Youth may represent a high-risk group because they might have been particularly affected by mitigation measures, such as physical distancing (including lack of connection to schools, teachers, and peers).
He also pointed to barriers to mental health treatment, increases in substance use, and anxiety about family health and financial problems as potential risk factors.