New study raising new concerns about teens and mental health

CINCINNATI (WKRC) – Healthcare providers are sounding the alarm about teens and suicide risk, after a new report showed a dangerous spike in young people attempting to take their own lives.

The report shows the number of teen girls treated in emergency rooms for suicide attempts has gone up 51% since the start of the pandemic -- compared to just a 4% increase for teen boys.

“It got incredibly bad,” said Siobhan Taylor, a patient who is recovering from an eating disorder. “In the time that I really struggled with my eating disorder, that seven-year-window, I spent almost every day of the year in treatment.”

From eating disorders to depression and anxiety, those who have overcome or treat mental health concerns say it’s no surprise that suicide attempts appear to have increased in the pandemic, especially for teen girls.

The Surgeon General recently issued an advisory saying the pandemic has intensified mental health struggles that were already widespread among teens. Several organizations, including the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, declared a national emergency after there were 50% more suspected suicide attempt-related emergency room visits among girls aged 12 to 17, compared to before the pandemic began.

The problem is, we may not even know these teens are at risk.

“Roughly half of individuals who may die by suicide have a mental health concern, but others don’t,” said Dr. Tracy Cummings, a psychiatrist at the Lindner Center of Hope.

Those who work with teen girls say this is a wake-up call for all of us to step up support for teens. Alisha Stevenson and Bridget Jones provide teen mental health retreats.

“Our kids are struggling,” said Stevenson, secretary of the Melanin Drip Collective.

If you’re a teen, or even a parent of a teen struggling right now, family medicine specialist Dr. David Lowe says the first step to recovery is to tell you primary care doctor.

“It’s very treatable, you know, the medicines get better and better, therefore, there’s no reason not to ask for help,” said Dr. Lowe.

The hope is that we can intervene before a young person considers suicide as an option.