School holidays no longer provide mental health protection for Victorian adolescents

New research has found that school holidays, which previously provided a protective buffer against suicidal and self-harm behaviors in adolescents, no longer have this effect in the post-pandemic era. Using data from the National Ambulance Surveillance System (NASS), Turning Point and Monash University, researchers analyzed 20,635 ambulance attendances for suicidal and self-harm behaviors among adolescents aged 12–17 across Victoria.