New data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that more than a quarter of young adults in the U.S. considered committing suicide in June, a staggering statistic that reveals the impact that COVID 19-pandemic has on mental health.
What are the details?
In a survey of 5,412 adults conducted June 24-30, 25.5% of those between the ages of 18 and 24 reported “having seriously considered suicide within 30 days of completing the survey,” the agency reported. By comparison, that is more than double the percentage of adults who reported suicidal ideation over the time period, at 10.7%.
The CDC found that young adults were more severely affected in other areas of mental health, including “symptoms of anxiety disorder or depressive disorder, COVID-19-related [trauma- and stressor-related disorder] TSRD, initiating or increasing substance use to treat COVID-19-associated stress, “noted that” prevalence progressively decreased with age. “
Just over 40% of all adults surveyed reported that they had at least one adverse health or mental health condition in June, and that percentage jumped to 74.9% among those in the 18-24 subgroup.
The figures confirm the fears expressed by CDC director Robert Redfield last month, when he warned that younger people would be at greater health risk from suicide, drug abuse, and then from exposure to the coronavirus.
Redfield, who has advocated for the reopening of schools, said during a Buck Institute webinar, “There have been other costs we have seen, especially in high schools. We see, sadly, now much bigger suicide then we are dead from COVID. “
He added, “We are seeing much greater deaths due to overdose of drugs that are above excess that we had as a background than we are seeing the deaths of COVID.”
‘Increased instances of depression’
While the boys were hit hardest, The Washington Examiner noted that “the pandemic has contributed to increased instances of depression and anxiety in all age groups,” according to CDC figures.
The outlet reported:
Have public health experts warned that unemployment and financial hardship would contribute to increases in mental health issues. CDC analysts suggested Thursday that any local-level intervention and prevention efforts include strengthening economic support systems to reduce financial stress, as well as address racial disparities in health care.
.
