Youth Suicide Rates Increased During COVID-19 Pandemic, Especially Among Particular Subgroups

In a study published today in Pediatrics, researchers in the Center for Suicide Prevention and Research at Nationwide Children’s Hospital found that in the United States, youth suicides increased during COVID-19, with significantly more suicides than expected among males, non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaskan Native youth, and non-Hispanic Black youth.

Alarming Upward Trend in Black Youth Suicide From 2003 to 2017

In the United States, the rates of suicide and suicidal behavior among youth, children and adolescents 5-17 years of age, have been steadily increasing over the last decade, and Black youth, 5-12 years, are approximately two times more likely to die by suicide than their White counterparts. However, the literature investigating Black youth suicide is extremely limited. For the first time, researchers have examined the trends and precipitating circumstances of suicide in Black youth only by age group and sex.