Italy, suicide attempts increased by 75% among young people in the last two years: Bambino Gesù data
Among the causes of the upward trend in suicide attempts is the impact of the pandemic on the mental health of minors: cases of anxiety and depression have doubled
In the last 10 years, admissions for suicidal ideation or attempted suicide at the Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital (Rome) have grown exponentially, with a 75% increase in particular in the 2 years of the pandemic compared to the previous two years.
From 369 cases in 2018-2019 to 649 in 2020-2021, an average of practically one case of attempted suicide every day
This is documented by data recorded by the Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital on the eve of World Suicide Prevention Day, which, according to an analysis by the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), is the second leading cause of death in young people aged 15 to 25.
To cope with the phenomenon, the hospital, which is the regional reference centre for psychiatric emergencies, has activated a service dedicated to the assistance and prevention of suicide in childhood in collaboration with the local ASLs.
The service is supplemented by a telephone line, always active, for urgent psychological counselling.
THE CAUSES OF THE GROWING TREND
Numerous scientific studies document that the incidence of suicide and the prevalence of suicidal behaviour has increased both in some European countries and in the USA, especially among adolescents.
This growth seems to be linked to a general upward trend in childhood mood disorders in high-income countries.
The correlation between severe depression and suicide attempts among the young and very young is confirmed by recent studies.
The impact of the Covid pandemic on the mental health of children and adolescents is also documented: internationally, the prevalence of cases of depression and anxiety disorders will double by 2021.
“The early identification with accurate diagnosis and treatment of depression,” emphasises Professor Stefano Vicari, Head of Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry at the Bambino Gesù, “are preventive interventions of primary importance to reduce the risk of suicide among the youngest”.
DATA ON SUICIDE ATTEMPTS AT THE BAMBINO GESU’: NEUROPSYCHIATRIC CONSULTATIONS INCREASED 11-FOLD
In the last decade, the number of neuropsychiatric consultations in the emergency department of the Department of Emergency, Acceptance and General Paediatrics of the Bambino Gesù has increased 11 times, from 155 cases to 1,824. In particular, there was an almost 40-fold increase (from 12 to 449 cases) in urgent consultations for suicidal ideation, suicide attempts and self-harming behaviour in young people aged between 9 and 17 years.
The restrictive measures during the Covid pandemic had a major impact on the young and very young leading to an increase in requests for help.
In the previous two-year period (2018-19), there were 464 emergency room admissions for suicidal ideation, suicide attempt and self-harm.
In 2020 and 2021, this rose to 752, an increase of more than 60 per cent. If only suicide, whether ideated or attempted, is considered, the increase in cases over the previous two years is more than 75 per cent.
In the last 2 years, there were 477 cases of suicidal ideation (+88% compared to 2018-19), suicide attempts 172 (+50%) and self-harming behaviour 103 (+8%).
More than 80% of suicide attempts are carried out by girls and young women; the average age of those who attempt to take their own life is about 15 years old, with the youngest being 9 years old.
The Covid pandemic also marked a watershed on the front of hospitalisations in Neuropsychiatry, which rose from 338 in 2019 to 492 in 2021, an increase of 45%. In particular, hospitalisations in Neuropsychiatry for self-harm increased from 30% to over 60% of the total
“Depression and anxiety disorders among the very young have been increasing exponentially for years.
The pandemic has only accentuated the phenomenon,’ adds Professor Vicari.
The emergency affecting our young people can be combated by allocating more resources to prevention and mental health promotion tools.
Starting from the school, understood as a place that cultivates positive relationships, to the structures on the territory so that they are able to intercept discomfort and support families.
The suggestion for parents is to offer time to their children, to pay attention to signs of malaise and, if there are changes in behaviour, to ask for help without fear.
Mental illness, if addressed in the right time, has a high probability of recovery’.
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