Over a quarter of young adults aged 18-24 have seriously contemplated suicide over the last month, a new Centers for Disease Control survey has found.
The report, titled “Mental Health, Substance Use, and Suicidal Ideation During the COVID-19 Pandemic — United States, June 24–30, 2020” was published on August 14. The data was collected from adults across the United States in late June.
Tommy Tighe, a marriage and family counselor and host of the Catholic mental health podcast “Saint Dymphna’s Playbook,” told CNA that he found the data to be “really heartbreaking, though expected.”
After months of extended lockdowns across the country, and anxieties about the coronavirus pandemic, Tighe said “our baseline level of anxiety has gone up during this experience.”
According to the CDC, “40.9% of respondents reported at least one adverse mental or behavioral health condition, including symptoms of anxiety disorder or depressive disorder (30.9%), symptoms of a trauma- and stressor-related disorder (TSRD) related to the pandemic (26.3%), and having started or increased substance use to cope with stress or emotions related to COVID-19 (13.3%).”
Those figures rose considerably among certain groups. Nearly three out of four adults aged 18-24 and slightly more than half of adults aged 25-44 reported “at least one adverse mental or behavioral health symptom” in the survey. Among Hispanics, 52.1% of respondents reported at least one adverse mental health symptom related to the pandemic, as well as two-thirds of respondents who had less than a high school diploma.
Fifty-four percent of essential workers surveyed said they had experienced at least one adverse mental or behavioral health symptom related to COVID-19.
Sophia Swinford, the founder of Catholic Mental Health, a nonprofit organization aiming to increase awareness and access to mental health resources for Catholics, told CNA that she is concerned that the stigma surrounding suicide prevents people, particularly those of a religious faith, from getting help.
“It’s ironic–‘stigma’ comes from a word that refers to a mark or brand on a slave, and it is from this word that we get ‘stigmata,’” said Swinford. “So maybe it is precisely the ‘stigma’ around these people’s sufferings that should make it clear we are called to serve Christ in them.”
People need to “pray for each other like everything depends on it,” said Tighe. He also suggested that people facing stress set aside time to “pause, breathe, pray, meditate,” and to take note of their feelings without judgment.
“Social media really works against us. If we’re trying to work on our anxiety, we need to pay attention to the impact it is having on us and take breaks when needed.”
Full story at Catholic News Agency.
“Yeah but like flatten the curve, man.” The people who continue to advocate having everyone locked up in their home are psychopaths.
Nobody is advocating keeping people locked up in their homes. Straw man fallacy.
Young people (and old) cannot go to school, and not go to work.
So, are you saying children and young people have a choice here? NOT!!!
It’s time to end this Mask charade. The average US death rate has been normal for two months now. (CDC data)
Why is this fact continued to be hidden by the Media?? And why the continued hysteria over the “pandemic”?
This overacting by the Media and politicians must end. Let’s return to school, work, and normal life,
and also, Mass, the Sacraments !
Really, what message of hope or reaching out is the church offering to these young people? What that makes a difference and tells them they shouldn’t contemplate suicide because the future holds promise and that God really is there? The church was losing millions of young people before the pandemic, and now it’s even worse.
We have to stop this cv Mask charade, and go back to school and to work!!!
That will really help.
Why is the Media continuing to avoid this solution???
Why won’t they discuss the data??
People here and other web sites continue to act as if cv is a continuing ongoing problem.
Go to the CDC website and look at the data. Things are back to normal
OK, the governor has had his fun. Lets get back to school.
The media always portrays suicide as a result of mental illness. Thoughts of suicide and other self-harm are like any pain. There is something that needs to be dealt with. Depression is considered the cause of about 50% of the cases of suicide. My experience is that being in conflict with someone, especially family and friends, and stress has a lot to do with it. Abusive people are very good at convincing their victims that they are at fault for the abuse. If you are locked down with an abusive person, the only way out seems like suicide. Do not do that. There are hotlines that you can call. Mental abuse is as bad as physical abuse but you may not recognize it for what it is. Criticism, lying, blaming, yelling, name-calling, labeling, gaslighting (yes, there are people who just like to mess with other people for their own entertainment) can all bring you to the point of wanting out. Then if you react or over-react to it, you become convinced that everything they said about you was true. Over reacting is a normal reaction to abnormal behavior. Dealing with crazy people makes you crazy. Call on Jesus and Mary. Pray the rosary. Either things will get better or you will be given insight and strength to cope. Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Covid is a temporary problem.. Spend your time thinking and praying over what your mission in life is. There are lots of resources online to give you hope.
170k covid deaths and masks are not necessary? Really?
I think a large part of the current youth depression and suicide problem, is the severe breakdown of society, since the 1960s– with immoral, immature leftist activists violently destroying Traditional Marriage, Home, and Family, the traditional, natural roles of Man and Woman, the American education system, and our entire traditional American culture, with Christian beliefs, and respect for God — and promoting a sinful, demented “tolerance” for “individual” immature, bizarre, immoral beliefs and “lifestyles.” Our good, American traditional culture, with church-going, practice of virtue, manners and morals and good, traditional education upheld by the schools, and a strong Christian foundation, is the ancient, Biblical, Godly, strong force for good, that is needed desperately, for our national health, happines, well-being, and success! The Devil of the filthy, violent 1960s, needs to be kicked out of this Nation, forever!
LOVE the classic 1940s movie, “It’s A Wonderful Life,” with Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed! Maybe that movie should be shown in theaters, coast-to-coast! Jimmy Stewart’s character learned a valuable lesson, when trying suicide, due to big life problems! He was saved by his Guardian Angel, who taught him much about the meaning and value of Life! LOVE that movie!