Did the rate of teen suicides rise in Nevada after pandemic-related school closures?
By Esther Tsvayg
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YES
Data linking teen suicides to school closures after controlling for all other factors in Nevada is not readily available. However, after pandemic-related school closures went into effect, the suicide rate per 100,000 rose in 2020 and 2021 compared with 2019, according to Clark County School District superintendent Jesus Jara and data collected by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to CDC mortality data, numbers of suicides among people ages 10 to 19 increased from 28 in 2019 to 36 in 2020 and to 38 in 2021. Though the population of adolescents in this age range in Nevada steadily increased, the suicide rate per 100,000 increased from 2019-2021, jumping from 7.3, to 9.3, and 9.6 in those years.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Centers for Disease Control Multiple Cause of Death Data on CDC WONDER
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