In the midst of the pandemic, teenagers are likely to suffer a variety of mental health issues.
The stress of being home alone for weeks or even months at a time can lead to isolation, boredom, and depression. Experts also point out that some teens may be afraid to leave their homes, putting them at risk for abuse or other problems.
Teens who are already struggling with mental health issues may be put under more stress during public health emergencies like this one, which can make things even worse.
Table of Contents
Teenagers may experience more isolation and boredom than other age groups.
You’ll want to keep an eye out for teens who may be feeling isolated or bored. They’re more likely to be home alone, or they might have less social interaction with their peers than other age groups.
This can lead to depression—and in extreme cases, anxiety disorders like panic attacks and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). More than 37% of high school students reported poor mental health during the pandemic and that continued to 44% had continued feelings of sadness or helplessness over the past year.
If your child starts having trouble concentrating in school, withdraws from friends, or becomes unusually quiet and withdrawn at home, these are all signs of depression that can require professional help from a mental health expert at https://basepointacademy.com/
Experts say that teenagers are experiencing an increased rate of abuse from others.
Experts say that teenagers are experiencing an increased rate of abuse from others. Teenagers are not the only ones to be affected by the pandemic, but they may be the most vulnerable because they lack experience and have little control over their environment. Parents and guardians need to take understand this period of crisis.
They should know what signs of abuse are common in children, such as bruises or missing clothing, then report any suspected incidents to authorities immediately. If you see anything suspicious regarding your child or another teenager’s well-being, contact social services immediately so we can intervene as soon as possible before things get worse.
Teens may have been stuck with their abusers during social distancing, putting them in danger.
As we’ve explored, teens are more likely to be affected by the pandemic than adults. Additionally, they may struggle with social distancing measures.
Teens may find themselves stuck living with abusive parents or guardians during this time. Their abusers could use social distancing as an excuse to isolate them further, continuing their abuse in secret and with no witnesses. According to the CDC, 55% of youth reported emotional abuse by a parent or another adult during social distancing.
These teens will be at risk of physical injury or death from their abusers if they don’t have access to basic needs like food and water during this time of isolation.
Other teens could also be at risk from others during this time period, such as those who are desperate for food or water and believe that stealing is necessary for survival. This might sound far-fetched, but it has happened before; during World War II when food was rationed, some people were killed by mobs looking for food on their doorsteps (and sometimes even inside).
These traumatic stressors can further erode lives after the pandemic. Trauma has a significant effect on teens’ mental health later in life.
Teens struggled to complete schoolwork at home.
School connectedness did wonders for most to restrict feelings of sadness and hopelessness, but many struggled to complete their schoolwork at home. In addition to these challenges, teenagers may have difficulty connecting with their teachers because most communication systems are down or unreliable.
Teens may also be unable to access the internet for research papers and other assignments. Many schools have been forced to close due to illness outbreaks and quarantines in their communities, so teens who live far away from the city center may not even be able to go back and attend school events like sports games or dances.
For many teens, social distancing has challenged many areas of life
For many teens, social distancing has challenged many areas of life. As a result, teens felt isolated from their friends and family members; they may also feel that they were punished for something that they had no control over.
Feelings of isolation and helplessness have exposed many teens to trauma and tested their resilience.
Depression and anxiety symptoms amongst youth doubled during the pandemic, contributing to already rising numbers of youth instances of depression. In early 2021, emergency room data showed an increase in suicide rates among young girls by 51%.
Increased time on social media
However, there are some ways that social media can be used to help you cope with a pandemic. You can use it to connect with your friends and family who may be far away from you during this time. You can also use it for news updates so that you know what is happening in other parts of the country or world. It might even be useful for keeping up with celebrity gossip and sports teams that matter most to you!
But social media has downsides as well that have been shown to have profound effects on the mental health of our teenagers. Teens are more likely to be depressed if they spend a lot of time and effort on their social media accounts.
With an increase in social media use during the pandemic, no wonder rates of depression increased! ‘Doomscrolling’ can force teens to continuously ruminate over the trauma of the world and feel worse.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we can see that teenagers are experiencing many negative effects due to the pandemic.
As humanity continues to adapt its tactics against this deadly threat, we hope these results will help us better understand what needs changing so that we can all live healthier lives. Schools, families, and mental health experts can all learn from these events and help our teens before their lives are permanently affected.