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There has been a spike in emergency room visits among teenage girls on suspicion of suicide attempts during the pandemic, according to a study released Friday by the CDC.
The study, which relied on data from a survey of emergency departments in 49 states, found that after the first few months of the pandemic, the number of emergency room visits for suspected suicide attempts began to rise among 12- to 17-year-olds, driven primarily by by girls in that age group.
Between July 26 and August 22, 2020, the average number of weekly visits for girls 12-17 years old was 26.2% higher than during the same period in 2019. Between February 21 and March 20 of 2021, the average was 50.6% higher. compared to the same period in 2019.
The CDC said the number of visits remained relatively stable for boys of the same age and for adults aged 18-25 compared to 2019 levels.
“The results of this study indicate greater distress among young women than has been identified in previous reports during the pandemic,” the study said. She called for “increasing attention and prevention to this group of the population.”
The study indicated that an increase in visits does not necessarily mean an increase in the number of people who died by suicide. Fewer people died by suicide in 2020 than in any year since 2015, according to a study published earlier this year by the Journal of the American Medical Association. It remains the eleventh cause of death in the country.
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The study cited a number of factors that may have made the pandemic more difficult for younger Americans, including physical distancing, barriers to mental health treatment, increases in substance abuse and concern about the physical and financial health of their families. Average rates of emergency department visits for mental health concerns and suspected child abuse and neglect, which are risk factors for suicide attempts, also increased in 2020.
The study said suicide and suicide attempts could be prevented through a “holistic” and “multi-sectoral” approach for young people, such as training community members and schools to identify signs of suicide risk and promoting economic support for families.
The study stated that “widely implementing these comprehensive prevention strategies across the United States, including adapting these strategies during times of infrastructure disruption, such as during a pandemic, can contribute to health development and suicide prevention among youth.”
If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide, there is help. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text a crisis counselor at 741741 or visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
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