Diane Calello, executive medical director of New Jersey Poison Control Center, based at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, is available to discuss the alarming trend the poison control center is seeing in children attempting to intentionally harm themselves.
Last year, the New Jersey Poison Control Center assisted in the medical management of over 1,500 suicide attempts in preteens and teens, up from nearly 1,100 in 2019. This alarming trend in New Jersey began several years before the COVID-19 pandemic and cases have drastically increased through 2021.
“Since New Jersey law does not require hospitals and healthcare facilities to report overdoses to the poison control center, our data likely captures only a portion of the self-harm attempts in our youth happening every day,” says Calello, who notes that many more youth attempt self-harm than die from self-harm. “Our data should sound the alarm. If you’re a parent, coach, teacher or friend, talking to teens about identifying suicidal behaviors in peers is key. Often, a child will express suicidal thoughts to friends through texts or social media before attempting to take their own life. Teaching our preteens and teens to speak up – right away – could be a critical life-saving intervention,” she says.
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