Suicide and Its Risk Factors Among Adolescents in the United States Before and After COVID-19

• In Event: Roundtable: Juvenile Justice

Abstract

In recent decades, suicide among adolescents has increased despite estimates of stable or dropping suicide rates in developed countries. The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated this crisis. The National Institute of Mental Health found that youth suicide deaths increased during the first 10 months of the pandemic (NIHM, 2023). The objective of the study was to find the impact of physical victimization, dating victimization, sexual victimization, bullying, and cyberbullying on youth mental health, physical well-being, and suicide among high school students before and after COVID. The current study uses nationally representative data from Youth Risk Behavior surveys collected by the Center for Disease Control (CDC). The present study will use logistic regression to examine the impact of various victimizations on youth mental health, physical well-being, and suicide. The results implied that the logistic model employed is significant. The strongest predictor of suicide is mental health in both years. However, there is an increase in the coefficient for mental health issues. There was also a significant rise in the coefficient for sexual victimization and dating victimization. The policies that prevent adolescent suicide should focus on multi-level, equity-centered strategies that address both immediate mental health needs and broader social determinants of health.

Author

• Kaviya Shankar, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University