Covid 19 has changed the dynamics of our lives in many more ways than one can imagine. Even though the larger slice of the focus was on a life-threatening virus, there were by-products of it lurking in the shadows that may have escaped our attention, but the ones which were equally dangerous. It isn’t a secret that this global pandemic has made us witness of things that we never thought we would see. For instance, prior to the emergence of this virus, this generation never really experienced country-wide lockdowns for interminable periods. So, when it happened, most of us were somewhat clueless about how to deal with it. However, things seemed to have been much worse for some. According to a recently published study by US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, suspected suicide attempt cases have drastically increased in teen girls since last year. It was May 2020 when emergency visits for allegedly suicide attempts started going up between adolescent girls ranging from the age of 12 to 17 years old. Moving into this year, suspected suicide attempt cases in February and March alone were higher than they were during the same period in 2019 by a whopping 50.6%. While this was the figure posted by adolescent girls, potential suicide attempts by boys hailing from aforementioned age group also went up by 3.7%.
The bigger increase in suicide attempts by females seems to be in conjunction with the reports of amplified domestic abuse during national lockdown period. However, while this must remain as a notable factor, the overall toll that this pandemic has taken on our mental health should be given an adequate amount of attention as well. Being in a progressive stage, children already go through a sense of emotional volatility, even more so in females. While usually we would deal with these feelings by bonding with people going through a similar experience, the social disconnect that this pandemic has brought in kind of takes away that option. Through this study, CDC has reinforced the need for better emotional education to the kids. Teaching them how to better cope with these distressing feelings can really make a difference. The study also reiterates the need to be more open to having discussions about possible suicidal thoughts your dear ones might be having. By empathizing with them, you can really save a life.
