By Cara Murez
HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, April 21, 2023 (HealthDay News) — The number of children attempting suicide with over-the-counter or readily available medicine has risen sharply, a new study shows.
This research highlights a pediatric mental health crisis, said University of Virginia Health System researchers, who reviewed data on reported suicide attempts that were reported to the National Poison Data System in 2021.
“This significant increase in suicide attempts during the pandemic surprised us,” said Dr. Christopher Holstege, medical director of the Blue Ridge Poison Center at UVA Health. “We are alarmed by the dramatic increase in suicide attempts in such a young population, which continues to rise according to our data.”
Suspected suicide attempts by poisoning in youth ages 10 to 19 that were reported to poison centers increased by 30% in 2021.
Among the youngest children in that age group, ages 10 to 12, suicide attempts increased 73% compared to 2019. Among children ages 13 to 15, the rate of suicide attempts by poisoning increased by 48 .8%.
“These findings suggest that the mental health of children and adolescents could still be affected by the pandemic, raising concerns about long-term consequences, especially since previous suicide attempts have been found to be the strongest predictor of suicide. subsequent death by suicide,” said Dr. the researchers wrote in a paper describing the findings.
The researchers also noted an increase in suicide attempts by girls: 36.8% more between 2019 and 2021 between the ages of 10 and 19.
In total, girls accounted for 81.2% of suspected suicide attempts in this age group, up from 77% in 2019.
Overall, calls to the nation’s poison centers fell 3.1% from 2019 to 2021.
An earlier UVA Health study found that suspected suicide attempts by poisoning among youth ages 6 to 19 increased 26.7% between 2015 and 2020.
Children more frequently used the common pain relievers acetaminophen and ibuprofen in their suicide attempts. The antidepressants sertraline and fluoxetine and the over-the-counter antihistamine diphenhydramine were also frequently used.
The findings were published April 21 in the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Weekly Morbidity and Mortality Report.
The research team recommended a comprehensive approach to suicide prevention through partnerships between families, teachers, mental health professionals, and public health leaders.
They also suggested considering security measures. These could include public education initiatives on the safe storage of over-the-counter medications, and also the availability of America’s poison centers to help. The team also recommended further promotion of the national 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline for people experiencing a mental health crisis.
“As a society, we must come together in a multidisciplinary way and strategize on how best to mitigate this rapidly increasing threat to our youth,” Holstege said.
More information
The American Psychological Association has more about children’s mental health during the pandemic.
SOURCE: University of Virginia Health System, news release, April 20, 2023
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