The “Silent Pandemic”

Today, the last day of Suicide Awareness Month, we highlight how adolescent girls of color are more prone to suffer from mental health problems than other teens. An impacting article by Ambar Castillo, published today in Washington City Paper, is compelling reading for all of us in the District.

Figures reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that the suicide of girls of color between 12 and 17 years old increased to more than 50% between February and March 2021 compared to the same period in 2019. And, although the total number of suicide attempts decreased between 1997 and 2017, “Death rates from suicide among black girls in the US ages 13 to 19 increased by 182 percent from 2001 to 2017.”

“While city officials seek to make schools as back to normal as possible amid a heightened outcry for greater COVID safety precautions from parents, teachers, and advocates, normalcy may not cut it for the other pandemic facing teens and girls of color.”

Ambar castillo | CITYPAPER

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