Teenagers hospitalized for suspected suicide attempts saw a spike during COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 and 2021.
During the same time, in the case of male teenagers of the same age, officials noted nearly a 4 percent increase in visits to the ED for suspected suicide attempts.
“The findings from this study suggest more severe distress among young females than has been identified in previous reports during the pandemic, reinforcing the need for increased attention to, and prevention for, this population,” the analysis reads, adding that this doesn’t imply that the suicide rates have increased.
The study says that “mitigation measures” in response to the pandemic have especially affected young people, including: physical distancing; lack of connection to schools, friends, and teachers; increases in drug usage; anxiety about family health and financial situations; and a lack of access to mental health treatment.
Visits to the ED also increased on average in 2020 compared to 2019 due to mental health concerns and suspected child neglect and abuse, all factors that increase the risk of attempted suicide.
Doctors have reported children—some as young as 8—intentionally running into traffic, overdosing on pills, and self-harming amid the pandemic. A health care executive told The Epoch Times in August last year that the mental health crisis is “now an epidemic within a pandemic.”