![]() “I see these trends in children’s mental health problems as being critical, but there are solutions,” Hoagwood said. The task force now recommends regular anxiety screenings for youth ages 8 to 18 and regular depression screenings for adolescents ages 12 to 18. Preventive Services Task Force, a group of volunteer health professionals who evaluate evidence on various preventive health services. Psychologists were also behind new mental health recommendations from the U.S. They’re exploring ways to improve clinical training and capacity and working to restructure policies to support the most vulnerable children and teens. In addition to studying the biological, social, and structural contributors to the current situation, they are developing and disseminating solutions to families, in schools, and at the state level. “Part of our role is to highlight specific areas that are critical in this discussion.”Īcross the field, psychologists are doing just that. For providers and parents, the term can be anxiety-provoking,” said Melissa Brymer, PhD, who directs terrorism and disaster programs at the UCLA–Duke University National Center for Child Traumatic Stress. “The idea of a ‘mental health crisis’ is really broad. In addition to the social isolation and academic disruption nearly all children and teens faced, many also lost caregivers to Covid-19, had a parent lose their job, or were victims of physical or emotional abuse at home.Īll these difficulties, on top of growing concerns about social media, mass violence, natural disasters, climate change, and political polarization-not to mention the normal ups and downs of childhood and adolescence-can feel insurmountable for those who work with kids. “It certainly got worse during the pandemic.” “We’re seeing really high rates of suicide and depression, and this has been going on for a while,” said psychologist Kimberly Hoagwood, PhD, a professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine. ![]() In the 10 years leading up to the pandemic, feelings of persistent sadness and hopelessness-as well as suicidal thoughts and behaviors-increased by about 40% among young people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. children and teens have been suffering for far longer. The Covid-19 pandemic era ushered in a new set of challenges for youth in the United States, leading to a mental health crisis as declared by the United States surgeon general just over a year ago. ![]()
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