The COVID-19 pandemic has witnessed a distressing surge in the homicide rate among older American teenagers, reaching its highest level in nearly a quarter-century. Additionally, the suicide rate among adults in their early twenties has hit a 50-year peak, according to government researchers.
A recently released report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention examined the trends in homicide and suicide rates among individuals aged 10 to 24 from 2001 to 2021.
Dr. Steven Woolf, a researcher at Virginia Commonwealth University who specializes in analyzing mortality patterns in the United States, emphasized the gravity of these findings. He noted that they indicate a mental health crisis affecting young people and call for various policy changes to address the issue. Dr. Woolf, however, was not directly involved in the CDC report.
Various factors have been highlighted by experts as potential contributors to these alarming increases. These include a higher prevalence of depression among young individuals, limited accessibility to mental health services, and the presence of firearms in American households.
According to the most recent available statistics from 2021, guns were involved in 54% of suicides and a staggering 93% of homicides within this age group. These figures underscore the significant role that firearms play in these tragic incidents.
Dr. Steven Woolf vividly portrays the dire situation faced by teenagers contemplating suicide, describing a scenario where a desperate youth, driven by impulse, tragically decides to end their own life. He emphasizes the critical role that access to firearms plays in such cases, bluntly stating, “it’s game over” if a teenager with suicidal intentions has access to a gun.
Within the age group of 10 to 24, suicide and homicide rank as the second and third leading causes of death, respectively, trailing only behind accidental deaths that encompass motor vehicle accidents, falls, drownings, and drug overdoses. By analyzing the data based on the method of death, researchers have determined that firearms now constitute the primary cause of death among American children.
Earlier this year, Dr. Woolf and a team of researchers examining CDC data drew attention to significant increases in child and adolescent mortality rates at the outset of the pandemic. They identified suicide and homicide as crucial factors contributing to this distressing trend.
Furthermore, the report highlights the following key findings:
- The rates of suicide and homicide deaths were significantly higher among older teenagers and young adults compared to those in the 10- to 14-year-old age group.
In 2021, there were approximately 2,900 reported suicides among youths aged 10 to 19, and 4,200 suicides among individuals aged 20 to 24. In terms of homicides, around 3,000 deaths were reported in the younger age group, while nearly 3,900 homicides occurred among adults in their early 20s. These figures underscore the distressing prevalence of suicide and homicide among older adolescents and young adults.
The report provides additional noteworthy details:
- The homicide death rate among teenagers aged 15 to 19 experienced a significant increase, rising from 8.9 deaths per 100,000 in 2019 to 12.3 deaths per 100,000 in 2020. In 2021, the rate further escalated to 12.8 deaths per 100,000, marking the highest level since 1997, based on data from the CDC.
- Among 15- to 19-year-olds, homicides surpassed suicides as the more prevalent cause of death. However, in the younger and older age groups, suicide remained the more common cause of death.
These findings highlight the disturbing rise in homicide rates among teenagers aged 15 to 19 and the shifting patterns of causes of death within different age categories.
Additional insights from the CDC data include:
- While there were significant increases in homicide rates for young Black and Hispanic individuals in the United States, there were no significant increases for their white counterparts, as indicated by other CDC data.
- Among individuals aged 20 to 24, the homicide death rate experienced a 34% increase from 2019 to 2020, rising from 13.4 per 100,000 population to 18 per 100,000. In 2021, the homicide rate remained stable, but the suicide rate rose sufficiently to surpass the homicide rate, reaching 19.4 per 100,000.
- The rates of suicide deaths in children and teenagers were already on the rise before the COVID-19 pandemic, but they experienced a further surge at the beginning of the pandemic. Dr. Madhukar Trivedi, a psychiatrist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, suggests that factors such as isolation during COVID-19 lockdowns may have contributed to this increase. He emphasizes the importance of addressing depression openly and proactively, stating that a “don’t-ask, don’t-tell” approach to depression is ineffective. Early identification of those in need of help is crucial for improving the chances of saving lives.
These findings underscore the complex dynamics surrounding homicide and suicide rates among different demographic groups and emphasize the significance of addressing mental health concerns in young people.
