The team’s earlier study found that #depression and #anxiety symptoms had doubled in #children and #adolescents during the first year of the #pandemic.

Elizabeth Payne

A file photo of CHEO. PHOTO BY ADRIAN WYLD /THE CANADIAN PRESS

Article content

#Emergencyroom visits by #children and #adolescents who had attempted #suicide rose sharply during the #COVID-19 #pandemic, according to new research reflecting what children’s hospitals in Ottawa and elsewhere have been experiencing.

#James Donaldson notes:Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticleOrder your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,#CelebratingYourGiftofLife:From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy

www.celebratingyourgiftoflife.com

Article content

The global study, led out of the University of Calgary and co-authored by researchers at the University of Ottawa and CHEO, among others, found that, even as overall #pediatric emergency department demand plummeted early in the #pandemic, visits for #suicideattempts and #suicidalideation jumped steeply.

Article content

From the beginning of the #pandemic until July 2021, #pediatric emergency visits for #suicideattempts by #children and #youth rose by 22 per cent compared to rates before the #pandemic. There was also an eight-per-cent increase in emergency department visits by #children or #youth experiencing #suicideideation.

The study was published Thursday in the journal Lancet Psychiatry.

The research, based on more than 11 million #pediatric emergency department visits across 18 countries, follows earlier work by the researchers that found an increase in #depression and #anxiety symptoms among #children and #youth globally at the beginning of the #pandemic.

Article content

Dr. Nicole Racine is a clinical #psychologist and chair in #child and #youth #mentalhealth at CHEO. PHOTO BY RILEY BRANDT, UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY /Handout

“This new study further demonstrates that the #kids have not been alright during the #pandemic, with increased presentation to the emergency department for serious concerns,” said Dr. Nicole Racine, a clinical #psychologist and chair in #child and #youth #mentalhealth at CHEO and co-author of the research.

The team’s earlier study found that #depression and #anxiety symptoms had doubled in #children and #adolescents during the first year of the #pandemic.

Co-author Dr. Tracy Vaillancourt, Canada Research Chair for #school-based #mentalhealth and violence prevention at uOttawa, said the latest findings highlighted the fact that the #pandemic was particularly difficult for young people experiencing #mentalhealthproblems.

Article content

Dr. Sheri Madigan of the University of Calgary is lead author of the study published Thursday in the journal Lancet Psychiatry. PHOTO BY UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY /Handout

Lead author Dr. Sheri Madigan from the University of Calgary said the research highlighted the need for better #mentalhealth supports for #children and #youth. She said the earlier research underlined the fact that “#kids were in crisis, and that we needed to bolster services and resources, or it was going to get worse.

“There’s been a debate during the #pandemic as to whether the #kids are alright or not alright. Now that more data have been published and analyzed, we can more precisely answer that question. The #kids are, in fact, not alright,” Madigan said.

Madigan called for #mentalhealthresources, supports and services to be prioritized “to help #children shift from languishing to flourishing,”

The research findings reflect the experience at CHEO in Ottawa, where emergency room visits for #suicidalideation and #self-harm increased early in the #pandemic and the surge in emergency visits for #mentalhealthissues has continued. Even as the number of #children and #youth coming to the emergency department for viral illnesses began to decrease at the beginning of 2023, after an unprecedented surge, demand for #mentalhealth treatment remained high and continues, spokesperson Patrick Moore said.

“The #mentalhealth surge just keeps on going.”

#Youth Services Ottawa operates a 24-hour crisis line at 613 260-2360. More information is available at: ottawapublichealth.ca/en/public-health-topics/#suicideprevention.aspx

Study co-author Dr. Tracy Vaillancourt is Canada Research Chair for school-based #mentalhealth and violence prevention at the University of Ottawa. PHOTO BY JULIE OLIVER /Postmedia
https://standingabovethecrowd.com/?p=11158