While older adults bear the brunt of the pandemic’s health effects, young people are shouldering the bulk of COVID’s mental and emotional health burden. UNICEF reports 27% anxiety and 15% depression in young people ages 10-19 and also highlights the fact that of young people who felt like they needed mental health support, 2 in 5 never asked for support even from close friends or family. Likewise, an advisory by the U.S. Surgeon General writes, “Recent research covering
80,000 youth globally found that depressive and anxiety symptoms doubled during the pandemic.” And the journal Nature devoted its October 2021 issue to collecting studies on the effects of various mental health interventions including strategies to train emotional regulation, problem solving, decentering, Ecological Momentary Assessment and more.
The problem is obvious. It’s less obvious what to do about it. One thing that’s clear is that addressing the youth mental health crisis will require all of us working together — schools, parents, professionals, peers, healthcare providers, faith communities, and more. Which means we all need strategies. Following are some recommendations from trusted organizations to support youth mental health:
National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI)
NAMI points out that one barrier to mental health support is fear of judgment. In other words, young people feel like seeking care will result in people thinking about them or treating them differently. To combat this, NAMI writes, “To support youth mental health, we need to create safety zones: supportive spaces where they feel comfortable sharing their concerns.” These safety zones can start at home and continue in the community through activities such as school support groups.
Youth.gov
This site provides government information and resources to support a range of youth programs including mental health. The site suggests looking at mental health from two “sides” — namely, those of promotion and prevention. Mental health promotion includes augmenting young people’s mental and physical resilience by, “focusing on protective factors in a young person’s environment, and on how these factors could influence one’s ability to overcome adversity.” Think of mental health promotion activities as those meant to boost young people past their current starting point. Prevention activities seek to keep young people from slipping from their starting point, for example, activities that help at-risk populations feel connected with their communities.
Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
The CDC boils down youth mental health support to one, concrete goal: helping young people feel connected to school and family. And they offer the following strategies for schools, families and healthcare providers:
What schools can do:
- Helping schools provide safe and supportive environments—whether in person or virtually—is critical to students’ wellbeing.
- Linking students to mental health services.
- Integrating social emotional learning.
- Training staff.
- Supporting staff mental health.
- Reviewing discipline policies to ensure equity.
- Building safe and supportive environments.
What parents and families can do:
- Communicate openly and honestly, including about their values.
- Supervise their adolescent to facilitate healthy decision-making.
- Spend time with their adolescent enjoying shared activities.
- Become engaged in school activities and help with homework.
- Volunteer at their adolescent’s school.
- Communicate regularly with teachers and administrators.
What healthcare providers can do:
- Ask adolescents about family relationships and school experiences as a part of routine health screenings.
- Encourage positive parenting practices.
- Engage parents in discussions about how to connect with their adolescents, communicate effectively, and monitor activities and health behaviors.
- Educate parents and youth about adolescent development and health risks.
Just as there is no single mental health intervention that will work for all young people, there is no one answer to addressing the youth mental health crisis at a societal level. But there are things we can do to help. We can engage. We can support without judgment. We can help young people get the professional help they need. We can communicate. And together we can work to turn the tide of this crisis.
Dr. Pikiewicz earned her PhD in Clinical Psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute in Carpinteria, CA. She completed pre-doctoral training at the Nan Tolbert Nurturing Center in Ojai, CA, and her post-doctoral internship at the Boulder Institute for Psychotherapy and Research. At both sites, Dr. Pikiewicz worked with a range of adult, adolescent and child clients in individual, couple, family and group settings. She also holds a B.S. in environmental science from Allegheny College and a teaching credential from Western Washington University.
