Teenage self-harm and substance abuse surge during pandemic

According to a new study of medical reports and claims, teenager mental health problems, including the incidence of self-harm and overdose, soared during the coronavirus pandemic.

According to a report by FAIR Health, an independent non-profit organization that collects and manages health insurance claim data, claims for intentional self-harm between the ages of 13 and 18 in March 2020 compared to March 2019. It increased by about 91%.

A report released on Tuesday also found that overdose claims for ages 13-18 surged nearly 95% in March last year and 119% in April 2020 compared to the same month of 2019. did.

Researchers analyzed FAIR Health data from over 32 billion folk medical billing records, tracked monthly changes from January to November 2020, and compared them to the same month in 2019. Mental health claims for ages 13-18 almost doubled last March. And April. Similar trends were observed at ages 19-22, but not as much as in the younger group.

“Young people have proven to be particularly vulnerable to mental health problems associated with the COVID-19 pandemic,” the researchers write. “School closures, remote learning, and isolation from friends due to social distance are sources of stress and loneliness. International literature reviews show anxiety, depression, and depression in children during pandemics. It was confirmed that the incidence of post-traumatic symptoms was high. “

According to a survey, in January and February 2020, before the pandemic began, the majority (66%) of all mental health claims were women. When the pandemic began in March, the proportion of women submitting mental health claims increased, reaching 71% in November.

In addition, girls aged 13-18 were up to five times more likely to be treated for intentional self-harm than men. Researchers say women reached the peak of inequality in August, accounting for 84% of self-harm.

“For me, the findings are not surprising. I have seen them as child and adolescent psychiatrists in our work since the pandemic,” said Gabriel Shapiro, a clinical professor of psychiatry at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. The doctor says. I was not involved in the study. “The tension and stress of having adolescents and children always in the same place is really difficult. They usually have a physical outlet for hormonal spikes and energy.

“It’s very stressful, and I couldn’t see my peers because I was very, very angry with the social and emotional development of my late teens and adolescents. , What do you do with all that energy, and what do you do with sadness and anxiety? So I think that’s why all these numbers are increasing, “Dr. Shapiro said. Stated.