3 slides Credit: Joe Buglewicz for NPR
Child Psychiatrists Warn That The Pandemic May Be Driving Up Kids Suicide Risk By
at 7:23 am NPR
If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (en español: 1-888-628-9454; deaf and hard of hearing: 1-800-799-4889) or the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.
For ways to help kids at risk, read Part 2 of this story.
Anthony Orr was almost done with his high school coursework when the governor of Nevada ordered a statewide shutdown of nonessential businesses on March 17, 2020.
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by texting HOME to 741741.
Anthony Orr was almost done with his high school coursework when the governor of Nevada ordered a statewide shutdown of nonessential businesses on March 17, 2020. He was looking forward to all of the senior activities, prom and graduation, says his mother, Pamela Orr. But all he got was a mini [graduation] ceremony, with only a handful of students walking, wearing masks and at a distance from each other. That was the most we could do because of COVID, she says.
Anthony graduated with honors as he had planned to, wearing a white robe and cap and an advanced honors sash, says Pamela. But he decided against going to college.
In Nevada, a Surge of Student Suicides Pushes Schools to Reopen
Erica L. Green, New York Times
Jan. 23, 2021
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The vacant cafeteria of Sierra Vista High School in Las Vegas, Jan. 8, 2021. Since the nation s fifth-largest school district closed its doors in March, more than 3,100 alerts flooded the district headquarters through October, raising alarms about a student s suicidal thoughts, possible self-harm or cry for care. (Bridget Bennett/The New York Times)Bridget Bennett/NYTShow MoreShow Less
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Jesus Jara, superintendent of the Clark County school district, in Las Vegas, Jan. 5, 2021. (Bridget Bennett/The New York Times)Bridget Bennett/NYTShow MoreShow Less
A simmering mental health crisis for U.S. schoolchildren
Donna St. George and Valerie Strauss, The Washington Post
Jan. 21, 2021
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John Nwosu, a school counselor outside Atlanta, says counselors need to be more intentional and active in their work.Photo courtesy of Chanelle Joseph-Nwosu
More than 10 months into the pandemic, mental health is a simmering crisis for many of the nation s schoolchildren, partly hidden by isolation but increasingly evident in the distress of parents, the worries of counselors and an early body of research.
Holed up at home, students dwell in the glare of computer screens, missing friends and teachers. Some are failing classes. Some are depressed. Some are part of families reeling with lost jobs, gaps in child care or bills that can t be paid.