Teen Suicide Prevention

Teen Suicide Prevention

Suicide rates for adolescents have risen over the past two decades. In 2019, approximately 1,600 teens between the ages of 12 and 17 died by suicide according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Suicide and COVID-19 Deaths by suicide in girls 12 to 17 began to rise in May 2020. In early 2021, emergency room visits for suspected suicide attempts were over 50% higher. For boys 12 to 17, the increase was just under 4%.

When comparing the rate of teen suicide from 2019 to late 2020, there were approximately two times the amount of suspected suicide attempts every four months. Meaning, there have been more suspected suicide attempts since the start of COVID-19 in early 2020. This increase was driven largely by suspected suicide attempt hospital visits among females.

Social Media and Suicide

The use of social media by adolescents has been seen to impact mental health in recent years. Surveys of US teenagers show that teen depressive symptoms and suicide rates showed marked increases between 2010 and 2015, especially among females.

The teenagers surveyed who spent more time on social media were more likely to report mental health issues.Facebook research revealed that Instagram has made body image issues worse for one in three girls surveyed. More than 40% of teenage Instagram users who said they felt “unattractive” said the feeling began while using the app.