Youth Mental Health in the Time of COVID-19
The week of March 11th, 2020 is one that will likely remain in the memory of nearly everyone in the United States, and maybe the world. COVID-19 was officially declared a pandemic, drastically altering how Americans were living their daily lives. Prior to March 2020, countries throughout the globe were already dealing with the negative effects of COVID-19, including China, Italy, and India to name only a few. Millions of deaths were reported worldwide; businesses were shut down; workplaces and schools transitioned to a fully online at-home environment on a level that had never been seen before. No pandemic so severely altered the structure and functioning of modern daily life like COVID-19 has in the past three years. In the midst of the pandemic and increasing fears about public health, mental health also was forced to the forefront as lockdowns were implemented across the world. While studies have been conducted in the past assessing the impact of a public health crisis, such as a pandemic, on adult mental health, youth mental health is rarely studied to the same extent.
Since the start of COVID-19, studies have increased on the impact of the pandemic on youth mental health. Youth mental health is a serious topic that demands more attention, as a study conducted by the Born This Way Foundation found that youth in Las Vegas are as likely to know someone who has attempted or died by suicide as they are to know someone who has died of complications due to COVID-19. In Liang et al’s April 2020 study, 40.4% of participants had psychological/mental health problems as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, compared to 26.2% during the SARS epidemic. With statistics as serious as these, it is important to understand the reasons why youth mental health was so severely negatively affected by the pandemic.
The emotional side of things
Throughout the pandemic, it comes as a surprise to no one that youth in multiple countries studied reported increased loneliness. Loneliness, in turn, can contribute to higher rates of anxiety, depression, and physical health risks. Additionally, Nearchou et al’s November 2020 study found that anxiety was increased due to fear/worry about contracting the virus, family or friends contracting the virus, and health complications due to the virus. Further results of the study conducted by the Born This Way Foundation found that 62% of young people surveyed felt that their personal hardships due to COVID-19 aren’t worth talking about or focusing on because other people “have it worse.” Feelings like these make it difficult for youth to open up about their mental health, not only to professionals, but also friends and family.
When dealing with such heightened and serious emotions, effective coping skills are necessary. Liang et al found that negative coping skills, such as substance use, increased the risk of developing a psychological disorder. Power et al, in their July 2020 article, also state that less developed coping skills increase susceptibility for negative mental health.
School’s out but no one is happy about it
When schools transitioned to a virtual at-home environment, while it decreased the risk of COVID-19 spreading in the classroom, there were a variety of negative results in youth worldwide, many of which are detailed by Nearchou et al and Power et al.
The loss of support outside of the home has the potential to lead to increased risk of exposure to domestic violence. Included in that loss of support was decreased access to school social workers and guidance counselors.
A loss of structure and routine affected everyone, but especially children with Autism Spectrum Disorder who rely on routine. Increased behaviors were seen in individuals with ASD due to this lack of structure.
Poor sleep patterns and increased sedentary behaviors in youth led to decreased cardiorespiratory health. High levels of screen time and social media use has already been correlated with higher anxiety and depression rates, all of which only increased during COVID-19, with so many youth being in lockdown.
Access to resources
With the loss of school-based mental health services, many school-aged youth don’t know where to go for services. Cost is and will likely always be a barrier for youth seeking mental health services, making school-based services all the more important. Youth are more likely to go to a peer instead of a parent or guardian for advice on mental health, making it imperative that youth know how best to support each other and when to refer their friend to a professional. Early intervention for mental health problems can increase psychosocial functioning in youth, so seeking professional help from a therapist sooner than later will likely result in a better long-term outcome.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been hard on everyone, but it’s important to acknowledge the severe impact it has had on youth mental health. Effective coping skills and consistent access to mental health services are a couple ways to mitigate the negative results of the pandemic. During a time when there is such a focus on physical health, mental health should not go neglected either.