Depression, anxiety double in kids during pandemic

Some already high numbers are even higher after years of pandemic-related stress.

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Depression and anxiety in kids have doubled over the course of the pandemic. Of course, mental health concerns in kids aren’t a new topic. The CDC has been keeping an eye on the situation for a while.

“The most recent study from the Centers for Disease Control that was just released at the end of March 2022 showed that more than 37% of high school students experienced poor mental health”, says Bryan Health Director of Behavioral Health Services Dr. Dave Myers.

Breaking it down further, one in four kids have depression, and one in five are dealing with anxiety. It’s certainly understandable when COVID hits and doesn’t let up.

“You initially have potential job loss, potential loss of a loved one, financial strain, things like that are the subsequent hits, potentially, from COVID itself”, explains CHI Physician Assistant Michael Klayum.

For a lot of teens, the solution is an unhealthy one, a quick fix with bad repercussions.

“We are seeing an increase in individuals reaching out to vaping”, says Dr. Myers. “They’re using nicotine, or maybe using some other unhealthy drugs or alcohol, and we want teens to obviously avoid those things.”

Remember, there’s no way to know for sure which child is going to have trouble handling the stress and which won’t.

“For example”, says Klayum, “you may have soldiers or something like that who experience the same traumatic event, but one is able to cope with it and manage it okay while another may struggle with it pretty significantly.”

It all means you just need to pay attention to the signs. Sudden changes in mood, behavior, sleep patterns, and more could all indicate an area of concern.  To take a free screening for yourself or someone you care about, check out the Bryan Health website.