Studies: Recent teen depression, suicide rates linked to COVID-19 school closures

Daily Mining Gazette May 7, 2022

A report released on March 31 by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (https:// www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2022/p0331-youth-mental-health-covid-19.html) states that according to the new data, in 2021, more than a third (37%) of high school students reported they experienced poor mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, and 44% reported they persistently felt sad or hopeless during the past year. The new analyses also describe some of the severe challenges youth encountered during the pandemic:

• More than half (55%) reported they experienced emotional abuse by a parent or other adult in the home, including swearing at, insulting or putting down the student.

• 11% experienced physical abuse by a parent or other adult in the home, including hitting, beating, kicking or physically hurting the student.

• More than a quarter (29%) reported a parent or other adult in their home lost a job. …

More than one in three high school students (37.1%) experienced poor mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, 44.2% of students experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, almost 20% seriously considered suicide, and 9.0% attempted suicide during the 12 months before the survey.

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