By Leroy Leo

(Reuters) – Nearly a fifth of the high school students surveyed by U.S. researchers said that they considered suicide after the COVID-19 epidemic.

A nationwide study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), found that 44% students had reported feeling hopeless or sad for more than two weeks in the previous year.

The findings that we have presented today are complex and parents, schools, and children cannot solve them all alone. Jonathan Mermin, a CDC official said that the impact of COVID-19 would be felt over many years and have devastating implications.

A survey was done online among 7,705 students from grades 9-12 in the United States. It was taken between January and June 2021. The question asked: “How often were your mental health problems not improving?”

It was found that the rate of suicidality and poor mental health was higher among female students than it was for male students.

The survey, published by the CDC’s Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report, found that suicide attempts or thoughts and overall poor mental health were more common among LGBT youth than in heterosexual youth.

The study confirms concerns raised by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Children’s Hospital Association, which in October 2021 jointly declared a national emergency in child and adolescent mental health, noting that the stresses brought on by the pandemic have exacerbated issues that existed prior to the health crisis.

Schools were shut down during the pandemic lockdowns. Teenagers were then exposed to many stresses including isolation from their parents and abuse.

Nearly half the respondents said that they had suffered emotional abuse from a parent, or another adult in their home. 11% reported physical abuse. Nearly 30 percent of students surveyed said that their parents or another adult at home lost their job, and 24 percent reported feeling hungry due to insufficient food.

Also, perceptions of racism among Asian students was at its highest during the pandemic (64%), followed closely by Black students (about 55%), and multiracial students (55%).

Researchers noticed an increase in racism in the period of the pandemic that began in China and was particularly harmful to Asian communities.

Researchers recommended that students improve their connections with each other and with staff to address mental health problems. They also suggested that schools districts consider school-wide programs like those focused on emotional and social learning.

Researchers noted that it was impossible to compare the trends of the new survey with others done prior to the pandemic.