The pandemic has made a huge impact on many people in this country. People have lost their lives, their family, their friends. Good people have lost their jobs, their homes, their stability. It’s safe to say that almost everyone has suffered due to the Coronavirus, including teenagers. Many people tend to overlook the serious ways that teenagers have been impacted by the pandemic because they seem small in comparison to the bigger events happening in this country. 

Studies have found that mental health claims for ages 13-18 have doubled since before the Coronavirus, according to a White Paper study. That same age group had a 90.71% increase in self harm from March 2019 to March 2020, a 99.83% percent increase from April 2019 to April 2020, and a 333.93% increase from August 2019 to August 2020. Overdose claims for the same age group increased 94.91% from March 2019 to March 2020, and 119.31% in April.

What does this mean exactly? Well this means that mental health claims, self harm, and overdoses have dramatically increased from 2019 to 2020. It’s safe to say that teens’ mental health is in the gutter. In theory, the solution for this is fairly simple. Pay more attention to teens, and be willing to drive them to a hospital if necessary. Give all kids the access to tools they need. However, many hospitals aren’t equipped to handle this influx in patients. Pediatric mental wards are full of patients, and they often run out of beds. Patients who are potentially a harm to themselves or others need special attention. They need to be monitored, and set up for an evaluation. Many hospitals don’t have the time or resources to treat this many patients.

Some ignorant people might say that this is just teenage angst or moodiness, when in fact, it seems that there are a couple of underlying causes that can be pointed out. Firstly, and probably the most obviously, is the added amounts of stress due to the pandemic. Mental illnesses tend to get worse with too much stress, and as most people know, this year has been incredibly stressful. Teenagers already had to deal with making decisions that could influence the rest of their lives, and now they have to deal with the impact of the Coronavirus. The added worry and stress might cause teens with pre-existing mild mental illnesses to get worse and make bad decisions. This moves into the next cause, which is the disruption in their routine. The spike mainly happened in the early months of isolation, which makes sense because quarantine caused a major change in teenagers’ daily routines. Age 13-18 is very important for a teens development, so it’s no wonder that teenagers were impacted negatively. Not only were they cut off from the socializing they were used to, but they also had to completely change their school schedule and their daily routine. This disruption can be incredibly distressing for teenagers, and could negatively affect their mental health.

While the number of mental health claims isn’t as bad as it was during the early months of isolation, that doesn’t mean teenagers are out of the woods. Mental health claims are still high. As the weather gets warmer and clothing gets lighter, remember not to comment on someone’s scars or weight. It might seem harmless at the time, but you never know what someone’s going through. If you can, try and notice the signs in your siblings, children, friends, classmates, or anyone else around you. 

Teenagers across the country are suffering from the effects of the lockdown. While it’s not high on the list of priorities during this pandemic, hospitals should still be given whatever resources they need to accommodate teenagers who have been detrimentally affected by the pandemic.

Some resources:

Centers For Infectious Disease Research and Policy:  Teens Mental Health Claims Skyrocket in Pandemic

Healthline.com:  Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown on Teens Mental  Health

Mayo Clinic:  Addressing Your Mental Health by Identifying the Signs of Anxiety and Depression

New York Times:  For Some Teens, It’s Been a Year of Anxiety and Trips to the ER