A 16-year-old from Maine reportedly committed suicide after struggling with isolation caused by the coronavirus lockdowns.
Spencer Smith, a sophomore at Brunswick High School, died from suicide Dec. 4, according to an article published Sunday by WMTW News 8. Spencer reportedly left a note that said he felt locked in the house and disconnected from friends amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Today I spoke to the family of Spencer Smith. Smith died by suicide on Friday. His family says he left a note, writing he felt locked in the house and disconnected from his friends due to the pandemic #NEWSCENTERmaine pic.twitter.com/jIiwlF8DUs
— Jackie Mundry (@j_mundry) December 8, 2020
“Thinking back, the last few months, we … we realized we missed catching the signs that things were getting worse for him,” his father Jay Smith said, according to the outlet.
“The social distance ain’t working for the kids,” he told the outlet. “I mean, the kids are having it hard.” (RELATED: REPORT: 11-Year-Old Dies After Shooting Himself In Head During Online Class)
Spencer reportedly worked two jobs and played on the high school football team. He spent the summer bulking up for the football season, but since he was a lineman he didn’t get to play in the flag football league that replaced the normal season of tackle football, Jay told the outlet.
“As soon as he found out it wasn’t going to be a regular football season, looking back, we noticed he stopped working out,” Jay told the outlet. “He stopped riding his bike as much to the point he didn’t even work out anymore. Instead of working out, he took naps.”
A GoFundMe has been set up to help the family pay for funeral expenses. Jay said he hopes to donate some of the money to the high school football team that Spencer played for before committing suicide, according to WMTW News 8.
Roughly 25% of young adults said they contemplated suicide in July, according to a CDC study released in August. The data was collected through an anonymous internet survey based on self-diagnosis and not clinical conclusions.
“Mental health conditions are disproportionately affecting specific populations, especially young adults, Hispanic persons, black persons, essential workers, unpaid caregivers for adults, and those receiving treatment for preexisting psychiatric conditions,” the report said