With the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen a significant increase in symptoms of mental health problems among school-aged youth. Most notably, the percentage of children with symptoms of depression and anxiety has become much larger.1 There has also been a great deal of concern about the potential for a pandemic-related increase in youth suicidal behavior, but the research is mixed with some data showing no increases2 and others presenting data suggesting that at least in some subgroups and locations, suicide risk has increased. For example, there is evidence for an increase in emergency department visits associated with suicide attempts in girls,3 and state-level increases in adolescent suicide in some regions of the US.4
Read more on the Student Behavior Blog site: 5 Things that Everyone in Schools Should Know about Suicide Prevention
If you are having thoughts of suicide, call 988 or 1-800-273-8255 (TALK). Additional resources are located at SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources.
Posted December 2022.
Topics: News