A recent USA Today article published in September 2020 examines why we’ve seen an upward trend of youth suicidal rate for the past 10 years and why we don’t have more answers as to why.

There are theories on drivers, the rise of social media among them, but researchers say there are not enough data to draw conclusions. Suicide rates are not increasing in every country that has seen a rise in social media use.

Experts say it’s because of the uncertainty in the world the past 10 years.

Many children are struggling to imagine their futures.

One expert states:

“I don’t think we can underestimate the role of the economic recession of 2008 on youth suicide rates,” Singer said. “During the recession they saw their parents lose homes and jobs; they had to move schools. They lost friends. My concern is that we will see an increase in youth suicide several years down the line following the economic devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

A CDC survey in August 2020 on how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting Americans’ mental health found 75% of respondents 18-24 reported at least one adverse mental or behavioral health symptom. Twenty-five percent of respondents in this age group seriously considered suicide in the 30 days before completing the survey.

The statistics only tell part of the story:

Between 2000 and 2007, the suicide rate among youth ages 10 to 24 was around 6.8 deaths per 100,000 people. By 2017 the rate had curved upward to 10.6 deaths per 100,000, a 56-percent increase in less than two decades.

Not only is this rise scary, but so is the lack of data and answers as to why? So much has changed in this world, and how it is impacting our young people is a necessary study experts realize. They also wonder:

1.) How well do we understand what behavior in youth signals suicidal risk?
2.) Is the mental health community well-positioned to help?

Most health professional know the overall statistic of adults: Suicide is the 10th most common cause of death among all ages (2017). But, it’s the second leading cause of death among young people in the US age 15-24. This is according to a new data from the CDC.

Two things we do know:
1.) More research is needed to find the causes of this rising trend.
2.) Young people need better access to mental health care.
To read the full article in USA Today, click here.

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Sincerely,

The Door SwitchTM