For teens, pandemic restrictions were due to restrictions including months of meaningful schooling, less time with friends and elimination of activities such as sports, band concerts, for those who rely on social connections for emotional support, the COVID-19-induced blockade may have weighed heavily on mental health, a new national poll suggests.
Forty-six percent of parents say their teenager has shown signs of a new or worsening mental health condition since the outbreak began in March 2020, according to the National Hospital Poll CS Mott Children on Child Health at Michigan Medicine. Parents of teenage girls were more likely to report that their child had started or got worse with symptoms of depression and anxiety than parents of teenage boys.
“Just as young people are biologically guided to seek independence from their families, COVID-19 precautions are kept at home,” said the co-director of the election and Mott pediatrician Gary L. Freed, MD, MPH
“Pandemic-related lifestyle changes have damaged the lives of teenagers, with many experiencing disruption in their normal habits. Our poll shows that changes in a pandemic can have a profound effect. get some teenagers on mental health. “
The national representative report is based on responses from 977 parents of 13-18 year old teenagers.
One in three teenage girls and one in five teenage boys have experienced a new or worsening anxiety, the census suggests. More parents of teenage girls than parents of teenage boys report an increase in anxiety / worry (36 percent vs. 19 percent) or depression / sadness (31 percent vs. 18 percent) .
But similar proportions of parents report negative changes in teenage sleep (24 percent for girls vs. 21 percent for boys), withdrawing from family (14 percent compared to 13 percent) and aggressive behavior (8 percent vs. 9 percent).
Recent research has shown that teenage depression during the pandemic is linked to teens ’own fear and insecurity, as well as high levels of parental anxiety, Freed notes.
“Loneliness during the pandemic may bring new problems to some teenagers but for others, the situation has exacerbated existing emotional health issues,” Freed says.
Parents in the census say their children appear to have been hit hard by changes in social interactions over the past year, with three in four reporting a negative impact on the teenager’s connections to friends.
Many parents report that their teens have been texting (64 percent), using social media (56 percent), online games (43 percent), and talking on the internet. phone (35 percent) daily or almost daily. Few parents report that their teens have been meeting in person personally with friends every day or almost every day, indoors (9 percent) or outdoors ( 6 per cent).
“Peer groups and social interactions are an essential part of development during adolescence. But those opportunities have been limited during the pandemic,” Freed says. “Many teenagers may feel sad, anxious and disconnected as a result of social distance and the loss of normal social centers, such as sports, out-of-school activities and hanging out out with friends. “
Parents who notice negative changes in adolescent mental health have tried various strategies to help their teenager, the Mott Poll suggests, including taking rest on COVID-19 rules and family rules on social media, seek professional help and even use mental health apps.
“Parents play a vital role in helping their teens cope with the stress of pandemic,” Freed says. “There are strategies parents can engage in to help, no matter what. whether their teenager is showing signs of problems. One of the most important things for parents is to keep lines of communication open; ask their teenager how they are doing and create a place for them to talk honestly so they can help when needed. “