Suicide attempts skyrocket during the pandemic among young people, particularly girls

By David K. Li - NBC News

Teenage emergency room visits for suicide attempts skyrocketed in the summer and winter of 2020 in the United States, especially among girls.

The rise may be related to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed on Friday.

ER

visits by

12 to 17-year-olds

for possible suicide attempts grew 22% that summer compared to the same period in 2019, according to findings published in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

In winter the increase was 39% compared to the previous one. 

["I always want to cry": this is how COVID-19 damages the mental health of Latinos, and how sadness and anxiety can be combatted]

The data was particularly alarming among girls ages 12 to 17.

From February 21 to March 20 of that year, for example, emergency room visits for possible suicide attempts increased 51% in this group, compared to the same period in 2019.

The pandemic increases the risk of suicide in young Latinos in the United States.

Sept.

12, 202001: 53

"Young people are a high-risk group because they may have been particularly affected by mitigation measures such as physical distancing (including lack of contact with schools, teachers, and peers), barriers to accessing mental health treatment, increased in substance use and anxiety due to health in the family, as well as financial problems, "the report says.

However, the researchers cautioned that no direct lines should be drawn between this surge in numbers and conditions brought on by the pandemic, which affected nearly every aspect of life in the country as of mid-March 2020.

["We are the ones who die": the pandemic triggers opioid overdoses and Latinos are the most vulnerable]

Parents may also have appreciated mental health more and, as a result, have come to seek treatment for their children.

"By spending more time at home with young people, adults may have become more aware of their suicidal thoughts and behaviors, thus being more likely to take their children to the emergency room," says the report.

If you know someone who may be at risk, you can call the Suicide Prevention Line, 1-888-628-9454, in Spanish, which offers free and confidential support 24 hours a day, seven days a week.