ATLANTA, Ga. — The rate of suspected suicides and suicide attempts by poisoning among youths rose sharply during the pandemic, a new study says. Among children 10 to 12 years old, the rate increased more than 70% form 2019 to 2021.
This new analysis, published Thursday in the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, looked at what the National Poison Data System categorized as "suspected suicides" by self-poisoning for 2021 among people ages 10 to 19; the records included both suicide attempts and deaths by suicide.
The data showed attempted suicides and suicides by poisoning increased 30% in 2021 compared with 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic.
Younger children, ages 10 to 12 years, saw the biggest increase at 73%. For 13- to 15-year-olds, there was a 48.8% increase in suspected suicides and attempts by poisoning from 2019 to 2021. Girls seemed to be the most impacted; there was a 36.8% increase in suspected suicides and attempts by poisoning among girls.
The records showed that many of the children used medicines that would be commonly found around the house, including acetaminophen and ibuprofen.
The data could only capture the number of families or institutions that reached out to the poison control line; it cannot account for those who attempted suicide by means other than poison. It also can't capture exactly how many children or families sought help from somewhere other than poison control, so the increase in suspected suicides could be higher.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has said the pandemic exacerbated mental health struggles that existed even prior to Covid-19. In 2021, the AAP called child and adolescent mental health a "national emergency." Emergency room clinicians across the country have said they've seen a record number of children turning up with mental health crises, including attempts at suicide.
In 2020, suicide was the second leading cause of death among children ages 10 to 14 years old and it was the third leading cause among 15 to 24 years, according to the CDC.
While the height of the pandemic is over, kids are still emotionally vulnerable, experts warn. Previous attempts at suicide have been found to be the "strongest predictor of subsequent death by suicide," the study said.
"An urgent need exists to strengthen programs focused on identifying and supporting persons at risk for suicide, especially young persons," the study said.
If you are in trouble, there is help available and you are not alone. Call 988 at any time to get immediate help.
