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During the Covid-19 pandemic, depression and anxiety among young people doubled from pre-pandemic levels, research shows. One in 4 adolescents worldwide “have clinically elevated symptoms of depression, while one in 5 young people have clinically elevated symptoms of anxiety.”
“The results of this analysis suggest that the pandemic likely sparked a global crisis in youth mental health,” said study author Sheri Madigan, associate professor of clinical psychology and Canada Research Chair in determinants of child development at the University of Calgary.
Over the months, these negative impacts on young people only got worse, according to the study. This surprised Madigan, who said she believed “they would be more resilient and malleable to the challenges of the pandemic” as she persisted.
This cumulative toll could be due to persistent social isolation, missed milestones, family financial problems and prolonged school disruptions, according to the analysis. Further studies following children for a longer period should be conducted, the study noted, to monitor for ongoing effects.
“Extraordinary inconvenience and stress”
The pandemic created conditions that could have exacerbated these negative feelings. With school closings and distance learning, children have experienced a loss of interactions with their peers, greater social isolation, and fewer interactions with other supportive adults like teachers and coaches. These changes may have contributed to an increase in symptoms of depression, such as feelings of sadness, loss of interest in activities, and disturbed appetite and sleep, according to the study.
Additionally, the general uncertainty and disruption of daily routines caused by the pandemic likely increased symptoms of generalized anxiety among young people, including fear, uncontrollable worry and hyperarousal, the study noted. Concern for the health of family and friends as Covid-19 spreads has also likely contributed to increased anxiety in children, research shows.
“Children and youth have experienced extraordinary disruption and stress during the pandemic, and it has taken its toll on their mental health,” Madigan said. “When mental health problems persist and are not properly treated, they can have lasting consequences.”
The study’s results are consistent with what Jenna Glover, a clinical child psychologist and director of psychology training at Colorado Children’s Hospital, said she was seeing in the field. She did not participate in the study.
“The disruption of their routines and their consistency is very damaging to a child’s mental health,” Glover said. “They thrive on predictability, which has been absent for over a year.”
The chronic stress and instability that children experience can lead to feelings of hopelessness, which is one of the main predictors of suicidal thoughts, she added.
In addition to the general increase in mental illness among young people, the study also found that older children were more severely affected than younger ones, possibly due to puberty and hormonal changes in addition to the disease. loss of social interaction.
Girls also showed a higher prevalence of depression and anxiety, which the study found is consistent with research prior to the pandemic. While this is a well-known phenomenon, it is often overlooked in conversations about mental health, Glover said.
“It’s not good for young people, but it’s especially bad for women,” she said. “Thinking about real targeted interventions and knowledge-based screening is, in my opinion, an important takeaway from this study. ”
How to move forward
Researchers should continue to monitor the situation of youth mental health as the pandemic continues and examine ways to address this crisis, Madigan said.
“This is a critical time. When we talk about children and youth as the future of our societies, it couldn’t be more real or truthful,” Madigan said. “If young people grow up during this pandemic with increasing levels of stress and mental health issues, society could face real challenges as young people age into adulthood. “
Keeping routines regular is integral to the well-being of young people, said Brae Anne McArthur, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Calgary and clinical child psychologist who also participated in the study.
“Knowing that children and youth thrive against the background of clear routines, it is important that children and youth stay in school and in extracurricular activities,” said McArthur.
That’s why schools should stay open as safe as possible, Madigan said.
“Schools can be a haven for many young people, but also, up to 80% of young people depend on school services and resources to meet their mental health needs,” she said. “If schools are closed, many young people who need help may feel that they have nowhere to turn for it, which could have dramatic consequences.
Glover recalled that schools should remain open whenever possible. Parents can also take action by checking in with their children and monitoring their sleeping and eating habits as well as their mood, she said.
McArthur said that while the situation is dire, we still have time to turn it around.
“This (the study) does not suggest that we cannot recover from this mental health crisis,” she said. “If we can come together as parents, researchers, clinicians and policy makers to develop clear and concrete ways forward to support child and youth mental health, we can rewrite this story in a year.
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