If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
Suicide related visits to the emergency room, among children and adults aged 6 to 24 in the United States, increased fivefold from 2011 to 2020, according to a new study. The increase in visits was among all age groups, race, ethnicity, insurance types, geography and gender.
The research, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, looked at annual rates of mental health related emergency room visits, and found from 2011 to 2020 the rates increased from 4.8 million to 7.5 million.
The reasons for visits included, mood and behavioral disorders, substance use and psychosis, but the increase in suicide-related issues was the most prominent, increasing from 0.9 percent in 2011 to 4.2 percent of all pediatric emergency room visits in 2020.
And these findings do coincide with the known rise of suicides and mental health issues, particularly in adolescents. The effects of peer pressure, social media, bullying and the isolation of the Covid-19 pandemic have all been seen as compounding factors for greater mental distress among this age group.
But the data also captures what could be interpreted as hopeful news: The increase in visits might signal a great awareness of mental-health related signs and screenings among emergency room staff. Additionally, some of the increase in emergency department visits could be linked to recent national initiatives on screening for mental health problems and on addressing suicide rates among young people. And it might also point to a reduced stigma among young people who are taking charge of their own mental health and seeking care.
However, the emergency department is not the ideal place to receive mental health care, as these departments are intended to help with emerging life-threatening situations, and often mental health concerns and suicidal ideation is a longer-term issue that requires routine treatment and longer-term care.
A recent New York Times investigation found that hundreds of young people sleep in emergency rooms every night, as they wait for placement in proper treatment programs.
“A dedicated national commitment will be needed to address the gaps,” the JAMA paper concluded.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
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