Teenagers hospitalized for suspected suicide attempts saw a spike during COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 and 2021. A new CDC study found that between Feb. 21 and March 20, female adolescents between ages 12 through 17 have been visiting the emergency department (ED) at a rate of nearly 51 percent higher than the same time frame in 2019 before the lockdowns were enforced. During the same time, in the case of male teenagers of the same age, officials noted nearly a 4 percent increase in visits to the ED for suspected suicide attempts. “The findings from this study suggest more severe distress among young females than has been identified in previous reports during the pandemic, reinforcing the need for increased attention to, and prevention for, this population,” the analysis reads, adding that this doesn’t imply that the suicide rates have increased. The study says that “mitigation measures” in response to the …