Suicidal Ideation During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Examining a Diverse Sample of Adolescents and Young Adults

• In Event: Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescent development: Exploring sleep and mental health

Abstract

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in drastic social and economic challenges, leading psychological scientists to call for national action (Gruber et al., 2020). Suicidologists have suggested these challenges may present a “perfect storm” for suicide risk; prior research links several of the pandemic’s ripple effects to increased suicidality, including economic stress, social isolation, reduced community access, and barriers to treatment (Reger et al., 2020). At the same time, suicide rates typically decline following national disasters. In the present study, we sought to determine exactly which aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic predict increased suicidal ideation in adolescents and young adults, controlling for pre-pandemic suicidal ideation severity. We expected overall greater COVID-19 impact would be associated with suicidal ideation severity during the pandemic. More specifically, we expected greater impact regarding social isolation, mental health treatment access, and family income would predict increased suicidal ideation severity during the pandemic after controlling for pre-pandemic suicidal ideation.

Study Population and Methods: The present study involved recontacting adolescents and young adults who participated in a lab-based study in New York City prior to the pandemic. Those who were successfully recontacted completed self-report measures about the perceived impact of the pandemic and the occurrence of suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Participants were 78 adolescents and young adults between 16 and 22 years (M = 19.27, SD = 1.59), and most identified as female (68%). Twenty-eight percent identified as Asian, 25% Hispanic/Latinx, 24% Caucasian/White, 22% multi/biracial, 17% African American/Black, and 8% other. Most participants (70%) reported living in New York City in the initial 4 months of the pandemic.

Results: Among participants who experienced suicidal ideation prior to the pandemic (n=23), over half (55%) reported thoughts of suicide during the pandemic. Suicidal ideation severity during COVID-19 was not associated with any demographic characteristics. Greater perceived COVID-19 impact and suicidal ideation severity during the pandemic were positively correlated with each other (r = .27, p < .05). In a linear regression with each component of COVID-19 impact included as predictors, the variance in suicidal ideation accounted for by the model was 35.8%, F (11, 47) = 2.38, p < .05. However, the only statistically significant predictors were impact to daily routines (β = .31, p < .05) and impact to mental health treatment access (β = .31, p < .05). In a second linear regression, pre-pandemic suicidal ideation severity was included as a covariate, with routines and mental health treatment access included as predictors. The model accounted for 58% of the variance in suicidal ideation severity, F (3, 54) = 24.34, p <.001. Routines (β = .23, p < .01) and mental health treatment access (β = .22, p < .05) remained significant after controlling for pre-pandemic suicidal ideation severity (β = .60, p < .001).

Conclusions: Results suggest that prioritizing access to mental health treatment may be a critical component of suicide prevention during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Authors

• Ilana Gratch, Columbia University
  Presenting Author

• Kerri-Anne Bell, Teachers College, Columbia University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Olivia Pollak, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  Non-Presenting Author

• Eleonora Guzman, Teachers College, Columbia University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Jeremy Stewart, Queen’s University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Christine Cha, Teachers College, Columbia University
  Non-Presenting Author