Teen girls in the United States are twice as likely as boys to experience persistent, long-term sadness, with one in three teen girls reporting that they “seriously considered” or attempted suicide, a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found, according to the New York Times.
The study also found that one in five children who identify as LGBTQ has seriously considered or attempted suicide in the previous twelve months. The levels of sadness and suicide attempts were the highest among all teens in the past ten years, a sign that the pandemic has had significant adverse effects on the development and social interaction of children.
For both girls and LGBTQ teens, many reported feelings of despair and social isolation, with one in seven girls and one in five LGBTQ teens saying they felt coerced to have sex or they were physically forced to have sex in the previous year.
The National Suicide Prevention Hotline in the United States is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1-800-273-8255 or 988. Please call or text if you need to talk to someone.