CHOP’s Psychiatrist-in-Chief Discusses Spike in Springtime Suicides
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Many people assume suicide rates go up around the holidays, but research shows us that is not the case. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide rates in the United States actually peak in the spring and summer months.
Tami D. Benton, MD, Psychiatrist-in-Chief of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences spoke with The Philadelphia Inquirer about the alarming trend. “Spring is the time when students start having an idea of how the school year is going to end,” she said. “If it hasn’t gone well and students have poor grades or will have to repeat a grade, that’s when we see kids having more problems.”
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or text TALK to the Crisis Text Line at 741741.