CDC: Suicide attempts among teenage girls increased 50 percent in early 2021

In November 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released data showing that visits to the Emergency Department (ED) associated with mental health were up in the first part of 2020. Among adolescents aged 12 to 17, for example, ED visits were up 31 percent in 2020 compared to 2019. Among those aged 5 to 11, ED visits were 24 percent higher.

Cases of mental health issues were even worse among adolescent girls at the beginning of this year. According to the CDC,

In May 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, ED visits for suspected suicide attempts began to increase among adolescents aged 12–17 years, especially girls. During February 21–March 20, 2021, suspected suicide attempt ED visits were 50.6% higher among girls aged 12–17 years than during the same period in 2019; among boys aged 12–17 years, suspected suicide attempt ED visits increased 3.7%

Analyzing data for ER visits for suicide attempts among persons aged 12-25, the CDC found that

Compared with the corresponding period in 2019, persons aged 12–25 years made fewer ED visits for suspected suicide attempts during March 29–April 25, 2020. However, by early May 2020, ED visit counts for suspected suicide attempts began increasing among adolescents aged 12–17 years, especially among girls. During July 26–August 22, 2020, the mean weekly number of ED visits for suspected suicide attempts among girls aged 12–17 years was 26.2% higher than during the same period a year earlier; during February 21–March 20, 2021, mean weekly ED visit counts for suspected suicide attempts were 50.6% higher among girls aged 12–17 years compared with the same period in 2019.

Generally, “among adolescents aged 12–17 years, the rate of ED visits for suspected suicide attempts also increased as the pandemic progressed.”

The CDC does not directly attribute this trend to the pandemic. However, plenty of research suggests that lockdowns could be the leading cause for this trend. The new CDC data is just more evidence of the tremendous — and potentially continuing — harm that has been done to young people.