Citation

Melhem NM, Brent DA. Child Adolesc. Ment. Health 2021; 26(3): 274-275.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/camh.12488

PMID

34190403

PMCID

PMC8444650

Abstract

The consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) in children are still not fully known. However, COVID-19 and the mitigation strategies to limit its transmission have affected children and adolescents through increased parental morbidity and mortality, increased poverty and financial strain, social isolation, and lost connectedness to school, peers, and afterschool activities. These are all associated with increased risk for psychiatric disorders and STBs in children. Mental health professionals and pediatric primary care settings need to monitor psychiatric symptoms and risk for STBs in children and especially among those who were directly affected during the pandemic in order to reduce the burden of the pandemic on children and families.

Language: en

Keywords

Humans; Child; Adolescent; COVID-19; Suicide; Suicidal Ideation; Suicide, Attempted; children and adolescents; Social Isolation; Stress, Psychological; suicidal thoughts and behaviors; Pandemics; Psychology, Child; infections; psychosocial determinants of health