Experts recently expressed worry about the rise in teen anxiety and depression during the novel coronavirus pandemic, which might show a sign of an increase in teen suicide, too, NPR reports.
What’s happening:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently surveyed 10,000 Americans on mental health, according to NPR.
- Depression and anxiety were up sharply for all Americans between March and June, which were the opening months of the pandemic.
- Young people may have been hardest hit.
- Near 11% of all respondents said they had “seriously considered suicide.” That number was nearly double (about 1 in 4) for teens, according to NPR.
Data collection is still underway for how the pandemic is impacting teens. But experts worry the data will show a jump in teen suicides since youth are cut off from their peers and caring adults, NPR reports.
Mental health and the pandemic
Questions about the pandemic’s impact on mental health have circulated for months now, and slowly more data will trickle in about what’s been happening.
- “The coronavirus pandemic has taken a toll on our mental health. The disruption in our daily routines can cause higher levels of anxiety and depression for almost everyone, and for those who already struggle with mental illness, symptoms will likely get worse,” according to the Deseret News.
Dr. Vaile Wright from the American Psychological Association, told the Deseret News that we should always be asking ourselves how we’re feeling and whether we slept well. There are ways to find help, too, from family, friends and medical experts.
