New Data Reveals 1 In 4 Young People Have Contemplated Suicide During COVID

When cases of COVID-19 began to spike, the number of people experiencing loneliness and isolation spiked, too—among other emotional, financial, and health-related anxieties. New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)1 shows just how striking this mental health crisis is becoming.

Along with suicidal thoughts, 13.3% of respondents used substances, like alcohol or drugs, to cope; 26.3% experienced trauma and stressor-related disorders (TSRD); and 30.9% suffered from depression or anxiety disorders. 

The mental toll has been immense—even before you consider one in four young people have contemplated suicide—and with these statistics, it's even more clear the situation is dire.

"Before COVID, we were in the middle of a loneliness epidemic, with about half of Americans reporting feeling lonely," psychiatrist Nina Vasan, M.D., MBA, previously told mbg. When the pandemic hit, people who weren't previously affected by loneliness suddenly were. 

"Social distancing has made it harder for most people to prioritize their social and health needs because many of the past activities or habits they enjoyed are now not possible," Vasan says. 

Loneliness2 can affect physical pain, risk of disease, depression, and suicidal thoughts. In fact, since the pandemic started, prescriptions for new antidepressant medications increased by 19%, according to one report. Along with loneliness, anxiety surrounding the uncertainty of the virus, job and economic insecurity, the loss of loved ones, and more caused researchers to predict a looming psychiatric epidemic3.

Neuropsychiatrist Daniel Amen, M.D., calls these two crises the "pandemic squared" and urges people to proactively tend to their mental health in order to prevent a continued or growing emergency. "It is more important now than ever before to put health—social, mental, and physical—at the top of your list," Vasan says.