Suicide Risk in Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Adolescent Medicine

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted mental health, leading to increased psychological distress and potential rises in suicide risk.
• Adolescents represent a vulnerable population susceptible to the mental health consequences of global health crises.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate changes in suicide risk screening rates among adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To compare suicide risk screening results between telehealth and face-to-face encounters.
• To identify demographic and clinical factors associated with positive suicide screens in adolescents during the pandemic.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the 4-item Ask Suicide-Screening Questions (ASQ) tool for suicide risk assessment in patients aged 12-24.
• Compared demographic data, encounter types (telehealth vs. face-to-face), and screening outcomes from April-June 2020 (T2) to April-June 2019 (T1).

Main Results:

• A higher proportion of visits were conducted via telehealth in T2 (43%) compared to T1 (0%).
• The rate of positive suicide screens increased from 11.1% in T1 to 12.2% in T2 (aOR, 1.24).
• Positive screens were more frequent in older adolescents, females, and those with public insurance, and less frequent in Black patients compared to White patients. Inpatient settings showed the highest rates of positive screens.

Conclusions:

• Adolescent suicide risk screening rates rose during the early pandemic, influenced by sociodemographics and visit type.
• Evolving healthcare delivery models present challenges in assessing and addressing adolescent mental health needs.
• Further research is warranted to understand the impact of screening methodologies and diverse patient populations on screening outcomes.