How our Children are Facing a Pandemic of Mental Health
Children today are facing a pandemic.
A pandemic that has our children in crisis.
In truth, so many of our children and youth are suffering from a mental health crisis.
According to a study by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) on mental health issues of teenagers during the lockdowns from Covid, more than a third of teens experienced poor mental health. Along with this, just under half, or 44 percent, of teens said they felt persistently sad or hopeless during the same time period. 20% of teens will experience depression by the age of 17. In addition, more than a third of high school students — including nearly two-thirds of Asian students and more than half of Black students — reported experiencing racism before or during the pandemic. Youth and teens who reported that they had been treated badly or unfairly in school because of their race or ethnicity were also less likely to feel connected to people at school, as well as having a greater risk of issues related to poor mental health.
There has also been an increase in teen suicide attempts. Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death in teenagers aged 15 to 19 .According to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), girls between the ages of 12 to 17 were found to have tried to attempt suicide increased by roughly 51% in early 2021 than the same time frame in 2019. In addition, boys in the same age group had a 4% increase of suicide attempts, as well.
One study found that the physical abuse of school-aged children tripled in 2020. As schools were closed across the nation, and children remained at home, the rate of child abuse rose significantly between the months of March to September of 2020. The study focused upon data gathered from more than 39,000 children treated at nine pediatric trauma centers, and found that 2,064 were victims of suspected child abuse. The study also found that the number of child abuse victims tripled for children 5 years of age and older.
In addition, studies show that up to five million children in the United States experience and/or witness domestic violence each year. Whether it’s watching an act of physical or sexual abuse, listening to threats or sounds of violence, or viewing the evidence of such abuse in a victim in the signs of bleeding, bruises, torn clothing, or broken items, the effects are damaging to a child, in a variety of ways. Parents dealing with their own anxieties and struggles are sometimes not able to adequately care for their children. A study in Pennsylvania found that deaths and near-deaths of children as a result of abuse rose, as well, In 2019, 51 children died and 93 children nearly died as the result of child abuse. In 2020, 73 children died and 115 children nearly died as a result of child abuse. Together the two indicators rose 31 percent.
Other recent statistics are also troubling. The National Alliance on Mental Illness found that 50% of all lifetime mental illnesses begin at age 14. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 42% of teens experience persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. 3 in 5 teen girls reported feeling sadness every day for at least two weeks, according to a study from The New York Times. Youth mental health hospitalizations increased by 124% from 2016 to 2022, from a study by Clarify Health. 31.9% of teens are estimated to have an anxiety disorder. Finally, deaths due to drug overdose among adolescents more than doubled from 2018 (253 deaths) to 2022 (723 deaths).
The statistics are grim. The dangers are real.
Children need our help, perhaps more than ever.
Dr. John DeGarmo is an international expert in parenting and foster care and is a TEDx Talk presenter. Dr. John is the founder and director of The Foster Care Institute. He and his wife have had over 60 children come through their home as foster parents. He is an international consultant to schools, legal firms, and foster care agencies, as well as an empowerment and transformational speaker and trainer for schools, child welfare, businesses, and non profit organizations. He is the author of several foster care books, including The Foster Parenting Manual, and writes for several publications. Dr. John has appeared on CNN HLN, Good Morning, America, and NBC, FOX, CBS, and PBS stations across the nation. He and his wife have received many awards, including the Good Morning America Ultimate Hero Award. He can be contacted at drjohndegarmo@gmail, through his Facebook page, Dr. John DeGarmo, or at The Foster Care Institute.
