Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness

June 11, 2021

Emergency Department Visits for Suspected Suicide Attempts Among Persons Aged 12–25 Years Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic — United States, January 2019–May 2021

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  • Emergency department visits for suspected suicide attempts were 51% higher among young females aged 12-17 between February 21 and March 20, 2021 compared to the same period in 2019, according to a review of US National Syndromic Surveillance Program data. Among young males of the same age, emergency department visits for suicide attempt were up 4%. The observed increase in visits for suicide attempts began in summer 2020 and remained elevated through May 15, 2021. The authors hypothesize that these increased rates may have been affected by COVID-9 pandemic mitigation measures, resulting in a lack of connectedness to schools, teachers, and peers, barriers to mental health treatment, increases in substance use, and anxiety about family health and economic problems, which are all risk factors for suicide. 

Yard et al. (June 11, 2021). Emergency Department Visits for Suspected Suicide Attempts Among Persons Aged 12–25 Years Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic — United States, January 2019–May 2021. MMWR. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7024e1