Nation of Despair: 25% of Young Adults Considered Suicide in Last 30 Days

As I've mentioned before, the deaths versus economy dichotomy is absurd. One early study found the lockdown may lead to 75,000 excess "deaths of despair." A new report from the CDC indicates that may be a low estimate,

Some 40.9% of respondents reported at least one adverse mental or behavioral health condition overall: 31% said they had experienced symptoms of anxiety or depression in the 30 days before taking the survey, while 26% reported trauma or stress related symptoms.

Some 13% of those surveyed reported starting or increasing substance use as a coping mechanism, while overall 11% of respondents said they had seriously considered suicide.

However, the pandemic appears to have had a particularly detrimental effect on people in the 18-24-year-old age group.

Some 75% of young people reported having at least one adverse mental or behavioral health symptom, making them by far the most impacted demographic. Symptoms of anxiety or depression were the most commonly experienced, with 63% of 18-24 year-olds reporting anxiety related symptoms.

​Nearly half (46%) reported symptoms of a trauma- and stress-related disorder TSRD, while a quarter (25%) reported using substances to cope with pandemic related stress or emotions. And 25.5% of young people said they had seriously considered suicide within the 30 days before taking the survey.

Perhaps this is one of the reasons are cities are on fire right now.  25.5 percent of young people seriously considered suicide in the last 30 days... unreal.

It's probably a good idea to check in on your loved ones a bit more often these days.