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The Declining Mental Health of America’s Children, and the Politics Behind it.
Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted its annual National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. Using data collected from 300 emergency rooms nationwide as the sample, researchers found that the number of children between the ages of 5 and 18 diagnosed with suicidal ideation or suicide attempts has in fact doubled since 2007. The study, which was published in JAMA Pediatrics, reported that in 2007 the number of diagnoses of either condition stood at 580,000. By 2015 the number doubled, increasing to 1.2 million. The average age of the child diagnosed with either suicidal ideation or suicide attempts was 13 years old. A staggering 43% of children visiting the Emergency Room due to thoughts of suicide or suicide attempts were between the ages of 5 and 11. One could argue that this dramatic and devastating increase in numbers is indicative of the pressures of hunger and poverty, cyberbullying, and the overall consequences of United States domestic policy..
According to www.feedingamerica.org, 1 in 6 children living in the United States don’t know where they will get their next meal. Their website states that when kids are hungry they are more likely to have social and behavioral problems. They are also more likely to be hospitalized, and have in increased risk of developing health…
