American children with depression tend to increase after the pandemic

All children in the United States can return to school, but the sequelae after two years of a terrible epidemic have made psychological consultants worried about the mental health crisis in children has become more and more serious. more serious.

AP Educators say they have never seen so many cases of depression, anxiety, fear, anorexia, substance abuse, and even suicide attempts. In low-income areas, this situation is even worse, especially for children who are psychologically unstable, have little communication and are isolated from friends after nearly 2 years at home. Online Learning.

The COVID-19 pandemic increases anxiety and depression disorders – Photo: Straits Times

According to Forbes, the percentage of high school students feeling sad and hopeless has increased from 36.7% in 2019, pre-pandemic to 44.2% last year, with many students attempting suicide. The survey also found that the risk of suicide in girls is more than double that of boys.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on children’s mental health, which was common before the pandemic, and it is difficult to pinpoint the main causes that negatively impact children’s psychological well-being.

CNN Racism, which has worsened after the pandemic, is also a cause of the psychological impact on children, said the report. Students of color feel they have been treated unfairly or shunned at school because of race or ethnicity. This affects poor memory and difficulty concentrating in class.

According to Forbes, it is difficult to pinpoint a single cause of mental health difficulties in children, but experts recommend ways to reduce stress for students by opening schools safely, reducing poverty rates among children, increasing access to low-cost high-quality mental health care.

The United States does not currently have a comprehensive and separate monitoring system for children’s mental health problems, so the family is still the best place to observe, care for and support children when experiencing psychological problems. , post-pandemic psychiatry.