According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is the third most common cause of death for people between 15 and 24 years old in the United States.
Emma Wanstall (18 years old), from Connecticut shared details about her battle with severe depression and her mental health journey CBS. “It got to the point where I overdosed,”She spoke. “I was planning on going to bed that night and not waking up in the morning.”
Wanstall shared her story with her parents, but she was afraid she would not be able to. “make them feel they failed as a parent.” Wanstall is learning to cope through various therapies and now relies on boxing as an emotional outlet, according to CBS.
Teenage suicide is a sad fact.
According to the CDCThe number of teenage girls who attempted suicide has increased by 50% since 2019.
The increase was first noted in early May 2020, when emergency department visit counts for suspected suicide attempts began increasing among adolescents aged 12–17 years, especially among girls,The CDC reported. During July 26–August 22, 2020, the mean weekly number of emergency department visits for suspected suicide attempts among girls aged 12–17 years was 26.2% higher than during the same period a year earlier. Then, in the 2021 winter, specifically during February 21–March 20, 2021, the mean weekly emergency department visit counts for suspected suicide attempts were 50.6% higher among girls aged 12–17 years compared with the same period in 2019.
“The difference in suspected suicide attempts by sex and the increase in suspected suicide attempts among young persons, especially adolescent females, is consistent with past research: self-reported suicide attempts are consistently higher among adolescent females than among males,” the CDC Submitted.
CBS spoke with Samantha Quigneaux of Newport Healthcare as a family therapist. “the pressure of the return to normalcy” after the pandemic may have contributed to these staggering trends.
“When we all have lost some skills, we are trying to get back on track.” Quigneaux said.
The therapist told CBS that parents should be on the lookout for changes in the behavior of their teens. This could include isolating from friends, substance use, self-harm, or eating disorders. And parents need not fear that bringing up the issue of self-harm and suicide will bring the idea to their children’s attention, Quigneaux said.
She says it’s OK to talk with children directly about the topic. “Ask your child, “Do you have thoughts of hurting others?” Are you feeling worthless or helpless? Talk to me. You can talk to me if you are unable to. We will get you the help you need.”
The study noted that though it found an increase in emergency department visits for suspected suicide attempts among adolescent females during 2020 and early 2021, such a finding did not mean that suicide deaths increased. “Provisional mortality data found an overall decrease in the age-adjusted suicide rate from quarter 3 (July–September) of 2019 to quarter 3 of 2020. The suicide rate among young persons aged 15–24 years during this same period saw no significant change,” the CDC wrote.
The CDC also noted that particular study was not designed to identify risk factors leading to increases in suspected suicide attempts.
“Young persons might represent a group at high risk because they might have been particularly affected by mitigation measures, such as physical distancing… barriers to mental health treatment; increases in substance use; and anxiety about family health and economic problems, which are all risk factors for suicide,” the CDC wrote. “In addition, average [emergency department]Visit rates for mental health issues and suspected child abuse or neglect, which are risk factors for suicide attempts, increased in 2020, compared to 2019. This could have contributed to an increase in suicide attempts.
“Conversely, by spending more time at home together with young persons, adults might have become more aware of suicidal thoughts and behaviors, and thus been more likely to take their children to the [emergency department],'”The CDC did not stop.