Four years after the coronavirus pandemic began, new data shows how severely the pandemic has affected the mental health of young people, especially girls.
According to a study published in the journal Academic Emergency Medicine, severe emergencies among children and teens, including conditions such as bipolar disorder, substance abuse disorders, and schizophrenia, have increased significantly during the pandemic. The number of psychiatric consultations in the room increased.
Additionally, the study found that mental health-related emergency room visits increased “more than expected” for girls from 2021 to 2022, near the end of the pandemic.
“We observed unique vulnerabilities in girls during the pandemic, indicating that their mental health requires further attention,” said the study's lead author. said Jennifer Hoffman, MD, an emergency medicine physician at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago. said in a statement.
The newly released data looks at emergency room visits at nine U.S. hospitals and builds on existing data showing an ongoing mental health crisis among young people.
In the final months of 2021, the US Surgeon General described the pandemic's impact on young people's mental health as “devastating,” and an organization representing child psychiatrists, pediatricians and children's hospitals warned young people declared a national mental health emergency.
A study published in 2022 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that more than 1 in 3 high school teens have dealt with poor mental health during the pandemic, and 1 in 5 have considered suicide. It was reported that there was.
The same study found that nearly three in four teens reported at least one adverse childhood experience during the pandemic, including bullying, loss of a parent, or violence.
Previous research has established links between adverse childhood experiences and increased risk of chronic health conditions, behavioral changes, depression, anxiety, and suicidal behavior.
Additionally, the pandemic has led to social isolation for many teens, which can also impact their mental health, says ABC News' chief medical correspondent and academically certified obstetrician. said Dr. Jennifer Ashton, a human physician and obesity medicine expert.
“This is a vulnerable group. In fact, a prerequisite for their development is social connections. This therefore explains why the pandemic has had such a negative impact on them,” the study said. Ashton said. “And, anatomically speaking, the connections in the prefrontal cortex are immature and susceptible to significant influences depending on the environment, so again, there's no real anatomy to explain why this is happening. and physiology.”
Ashton said it's important for parents and health care professionals to remember that mental illnesses can present differently in children than in adults.
According to the National Institutes of Health, symptoms of mental health problems in children include social isolation, changes in sleep patterns, alcohol or drug abuse, hurting others or self-harm, compulsive exercise or dieting, and sadness. It can appear as a feeling of hopelessness or hopelessness. mental health.
Ashton pointed out that a child's mental health should be given as much priority as their physical health. And just like kids go to the doctor for their physical health, there are resources available to help them get professional help for their mental health.
Schools are also important resources for mental health support, as well as doctors, including psychiatrists, mental health counselors and psychologists, according to the CDC.
“We need to understand that we don't have to solve this problem alone,” Ashton said. “If you have concerns, if you have questions, please seek help. A mental health professional, your child's pediatrician, this is in their wheelhouse and they can help.”
If you are facing a suicide, drug use, or other mental health crisis, call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. A trained crisis counselor is available to her 24/7, free of charge. You can also visit 988lifeline.org.
