Earlier quoted context omitted.
My take is that this is a counterpoint to the dominant media narrative that covid and lockdowns have been detrimental to the mental heath of nearly every child, usually based on anecdata. So even if these results _aren't_ different from a normal year, that's still meaningful. I think this is the crux of their conclusions too: > While the pandemic has undoubtedly had negative consequences for many, it is important to…
It's not all "anecdata"... > In May 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, ED visits for suspected suicide attempts began to increase among adolescents aged 12–17 years, especially girls. During February 21–March 20, 2021, suspected suicide attempt ED visits were 50.6% higher among girls aged 12–17 years than during the same period in 2019 . [1] - https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7024e1.htm
According to this source[1] 1 in 25 attempts in youth are successful vs 1 in 4 for the elderly. That leaves a lot of room for "attempt discovery" statistics to meaningfully change without any meaningful changes in actual attempts.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_attempt#:~:text=The%20....