In America, the suspected attempt of suicide by teenage girls increased due to mental agony of Covid 19 pandemic. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that the visit of teenage girls suspected of suicide to the emergency department rose significantly in 2020 compared to 2019.
In its report, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that Emergency Department visit counts for suspected suicide attempts began increasing among adolescents aged 12-17 years, especially among girls by early May 2020.
It also pointed out that the average number of visits by girls of the same age group was 26 per cent higher than the same period in 2019 between July 26 and August 22, 2020. From February 21 to March 20 of 2021, the percentage shot up to an alarming 51 per cent compared to the same period in 2020. For boys of the same age, the rise in emergency room visits was 4 per cent. .
The authors of the report said that the findings showed more severe distress among young females than identified in previous reports during the pandemic. The report said that young people might represent a group at high risk as they might have been particularly affected by mitigation measures like physical distancing. Other risk factors include barriers to mental health treatment, increases in substance use and anxiety about family health and economic problems, the report said.
The report from US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that suicide prevention required a comprehensive approach that is adapted during times of infrastructure disruption, involves multisectoral partnerships and implements evidence-based strategies to address the range of factors influencing suicide risk.
