REUTERS/Jim VondruskaRegister now for FREE unrestricted access to Reuters.comRegister(Reuters) – More than a 3rd of high school trainees surveyed in the United States experienced anxiety, tension or depression, and nearly a fifth said they seriously considered suicide throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. scientists reported on Thursday.The initially nationwide survey of its kind discovered that 44% of trainees reported feeling hopeless or sad every day for two successive weeks or more throughout the previous year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) research study.”The survey found the frequency of poor psychological health and suicidality was high across students of all sexual identity, racial and ethnic groups, however was more common amongst trainees who determined as female than males.Suicidal thoughts or attempts and basic poor psychological health were also more prevalent amongst LGBT trainees than amongst heterosexual youth, the survey released in the CDCs Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report found.The study confirms issues raised by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Childrens Hospital Association, which in October 2021 collectively stated a nationwide emergency in child and teen psychological health, noting that the tensions brought on by the pandemic have intensified problems that existed prior to the health crisis.As schools were closed throughout pandemic lockdowns, teenagers were exposed to a range of tensions, including abuse from moms and dads and isolation.More than half of the trainees surveyed said they experienced emotional abuse by a parent or other adult at home, with 11% reporting physical abuse. The researchers noted an increase in racism throughout the pandemic, which began in China, especially versus Asian communities.To address these mental health problems, scientists advised enhancing trainee connectedness with other trainees as well as with staff, and noted that school districts must think about school-wide programs such as those focused on emotional and social learning.Because the study was the very first of its kind, it was not possible to compare trends with those seen in other studies prior to the pandemic, researchers noted.SOURCE: https://bit.ly/3IXdJkP MMWR Supplements: Current Volume (71 ), online March 31, 2022.
