The number of young children attempting suicide soared during Covid, with many turning to their parents’ medicine cabinet.
A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found on Tuesday that the number of suicide attempts by poisoning among American children increased by 30 percent between 2019 and 2021.
Younger children were hit hardest by the pandemic, with suicide attempts from drug overdose or other poisoning rising by 72 percent.
Commonly used medications were readily available over-the-counter medications such as Tylenol, Advil, and Benadryl. Antidepressants such as Zoloft and Prozac were also commonly used.
The pandemic – and subsequent lockdowns and school closures – sparked a wave of mental health problems among the country’s children. A recent report found that 90 percent of schools report an increase in behavioral problems as a result.
Kids often reached for Tylenol in a suicide attempt, with other over-the-counter drugs like Advil and Benadryl also common choices
Children were more likely to attempt suicide in the spring and fall months, the CDC found
“These findings suggest that the mental health of children and adolescents was affected by the pandemic, raising concerns about long-term consequences,” the CDC researchers wrote.
“Previous suicide attempts appear to be the strongest predictor of later death by suicide.”
Covid has disrupted everyday life in a big way when it first emerged in early 2020. The virus led to school closures and other social events being halted across America.
This sparked a wave of mental health problems among the world’s youth. The World Health Organization (WHO) last year declared a “global mental health crisis” and blamed Covid lockdowns.
In February, the CDC reported that 57 percent of teenage girls and 30 percent of teenage boys experienced feelings of hopelessness and sadness.
This led to a wave of suicide attempts, the CDC reports. Using reports from the National Poison Data System, they found an overall increase in suicide attempts by drug overdose in children.
Overall, suicide attempts with poison increased by a third. These include cases where a child attempted suicide by overdosing or using another substance.
These can be household cleaners such as bleach and antifreeze.
However, this data does not include suicide attempts with a weapon, traps or other methods.
The drug that achieved most in these cases was acetaminophen, sold under the brand name Tylenol.
By 2021, when suicide attempts peaked, more than 50 out of every 100,000 suicide attempts in the US were 10 to 19 year olds using the drug.
Also common was ibuprofen, known as Advil. Accounting for about 45 per 100,000 suicide attempts in the US.
About 15 attempts per 100,000 suicides were sertraline, sold as Zoloft, fluoxetine, branded as Prozac, and diphenhydramine, Benadryl.
The CDC warns that because these drugs are so easy to find in the home, parents and doctors should do more to monitor children with suicidal thoughts.
“Three of the top five most commonly identified drugs involved in suspected suicide attempts in this analysis are over-the-counter drugs, and two drugs are antidepressants,” researchers wrote.
“There is an urgent need to strengthen programs aimed at identifying and supporting individuals at risk of suicide, particularly young individuals.”
“Three of the top five most commonly identified medications implicated in suspected suicide attempts in this analysis are over-the-counter medications, and two medications are antidepressants,” the CDC wrote.
“There is an urgent need to strengthen programs aimed at identifying and supporting individuals at risk of suicide, particularly young individuals.”
Suicides increased the most among the youngest children included in the study.
Between 2019 and 2021, the number of 10- to 12-year-olds who attempted suicide by poisoning increased from 5,473 to 9,396 – a 72 percent increase.
There was also a sharp increase among women, from 68,045 in 2019 to 96,962 in 2021 – a 42.4 percent increase in just two years.
Children also committed suicide more often in the spring and fall, according to the data found.
