On April 3, 2020 David Brooks of the Ney York Times asked readers to give their concerns on mental health and Covid19. Here is the response I sent to him:
In November of 2019 my 13-year-old granddaughter committed suicide as a result of online bullying. As the NYT reported, suicide is the second leading cause of death among ages 10-24. Since 2001 there has been a 400% increase in attempts. Will this trend increase as a result of today’s quaranteen? Teens often give the impression that their silence means they are okay. Parents need to draw out conversation and monitor computer and phone usage. Suppertime, for example, could be a family time with conversation. Don’t allow teens to isolate.
