25% of Young Adults Considered Suicide During Pandemic

A new report from the CDC offers an alarming picture of how COVID-19 has affected the mental health of people aged 18 to 24. That’s the gist of a new article by Brianna Ehley at Politico, The CDC’s study lasted from June 24-30, and covered over 5,400 people; the results provide a quantifiable version of something that’s been apparent for a while now: the pandemic is having a terrible effect on many people’s mental health.

Over 40% of the people surveyed noted that the pandemic had affected their mental or behavioral health. A closer look at the study’s findings reveals even more sobering information:

While 10.7 percent of respondents overall reported considering suicide in the previous 30 days, 25.5 percent of those between 18 to 24 reported doing so. Almost 31 percent of self-reported unpaid caregivers and 22 percent of essential workers also said they harbored such thoughts. Hispanic and Black respondents similarly were well above the average.

The survey was anonymous and was conducted online. Among its other findings: 13.3% of survey respondents had used drugs, including alcohol, to deal with the stress they had experienced during the pandemic. The highest percentage of people reporting mental or behavioral health issues resulting from the pandemic? People who had been deemed essential workers.

Taken in total, these findings suggest the scope of the pandemic goes far beyond people infected with COVID-19. Depression can ultimately have effects on your body’s physical health, which suggests one more that this pandemic is taking a physical toll on the nation — and the world.

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