Abstract
As the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic continues, the potential long-term effects on pediatric and family mental health are becoming alarmingly apparent. The scale and impact of these effects will depend on how quickly and thoroughly the public health response acts to shore up our mental health system and makes preventative interventions available to affected youth. As researchers and clinicians, it is important that we patiently and persistently communicate the seriousness of these risks to our communities and the nation and world at large.
One area that requires focus is suicidal ideation and attempts. Strong associations exist between economic recession and suicide; for instance, studies of suicide rates during the 2008 economic crisis show that rates of suicide were significantly correlated with levels of unemployment.
The coronavirus pandemic is poised to have a far more severe impact on employment. And young people, particularly adolescents and young adults, are already experiencing loss of opportunity. At the same time as it increases stress and hopelessness, the pandemic is stripping us of social connection, a protective factor against depression and suicide.
This crisis presents a convergence of two factors strongly associated with vulnerability for suicide—economic stress and social isolation. Should the pandemic persist, the outcome is clear. We could see an increase in suicide rates over the months ahead. And although we may not have easy answers to preventing or treating suicidal behavior, it is incumbent upon us to advocate for common sense resources and policies to prepare for and mitigate this increase.
During this destabilizing time, it is also important to make progress in our field and to nurture our culture of scientific inquiry. In this spirit, I am happy to announce that this issue of the journal contains investigations of pharmacologic interventions for a variety of pediatric mental health disorders. Articles of interest include Yu et al. on topiramate for tic disorders, from China; Oerbeck et al. on sleep medication in institutionalized youth in Norway; and McNamara et al. on a fascinating study of fish oil for depression in adolescents at high risk for bipolar 1 disorder.
I also recommend Scheeringa's presentation of validation and test–retest reliability findings concerning the Diagnostic Infant and Preschool Assessment. I hope you will read these articles and think of how we as scientists and clinicians can use medicine to address the great mental health challenges facing the world's citizens now and in the immediate future.