Our Kids Post COVID? Mental Health Dangers!

Post Covid Adolescent Mental Health Emergency; A synopsis of Kids, Life, and Mental Health[1]

By Leslie Cochrane, LPC

These can be challenging times for our children. Parents need to be be extremely vigilant when it comes to their children’s mental health. Adolescent Suicide is the second leading cause of death in America among 10-to 24-year-olds.[2]

Some 57% of female teens in the U.S. struggled with feeling "persistently sad" in 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Of the women surveyed, 30% considered suicide, 24% planned suicide and 13% attempted suicide. 

Families are very busy, relying on mobile phones, laptops, and tablets to connect and/or entertain. This digital exposure is leaving our children vulnerable to the instant access of bullying, pornography, peer pressure, inappropriate language, gambling, etc...

Mental health challenges for adolescents are the leading cause of poor outcomes, lifelong health challenges, and disabilities. Emergency Room visits for mental health reasons increased by 24% for children between ages 5 and 11, while children between ages 12 and 17 increased by 30% in 2020.[3]

Signs of Adolescent Mental Health Disorders

• Persistent sadness that lasts two weeks or more

• Withdrawing from or avoiding social interactions

• Hurting oneself or talking about hurting oneself

• Talking about death or suicide

• Outbursts or extreme irritability

• Out-of-control behavior that can be harmful

• Drastic changes in eating habits

• Loss of weight

• Difficulty Sleeping

• Frequent headaches or stomachaches

• Difficulty concentrating

• Changes in academic performance

• Avoiding or missing school

If you are seeing these signs in your children schedule an appointment with their healthcare provider or with a licensed counselor like myself. Select someone qualified in adolescent models of intervention. The treatment for adolescents is not the same as treatment for adults. Half of the cases of adult mental illnesses usually start by age 14. The earlier the detection and treatment, the better the prognosis and outcome.[4], [5]

Let me emphasize that routine counseling for adolescents and teenagers can help them avoid many pitfalls; providing them the tools they need to have a joyful, balanced life. Don’t wait till your child is totally overwhelmed, act now, and give them the gift of counseling.

For counseling services contact me, Leslie Cochrane, LPC @ Dayspring Center for Christian Counseling. See contact info below.

[1] Clinton, Tim. “Kids, Life, and Mental Health.” Christian Counseling Today, Vol 26, No 2, pp. 8–10. [2] Stone, D.M., Jones, C.M., & Mack, K.A. (2021, February 25). Changes in suicide rates – United States, 2018-2019. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. [3] Lees, R.T., et al. (2020, November 13). Mental Health-related emergency department visits among children aged 18 years during the COVID-19 pandemic – United States, January 1 – October 17, 2020. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [4] Ng, A.T. (N.d.). Warning signs of mental illness. Psychiatry.org. [5] Position statement 41: Early identification of mental health issues in young people. Mental Health America. (N.d.).