How COVID-19 Affected Teens’ Mental Health

Although the United States is beginning to reopen thanks to high vaccination rates, the lingering mental health challenges exacerbated by the pandemic are likely to remain far beyond our pending return to “normalcy” — and are likely to affect young people most of all. While elderly populations were at the most physical risk from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a January 27 Harvard Gazette article, pandemic lockdowns led to worsening levels of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder among adolescents. For people with existing mental health issues, the pandemic has led to more severe challenges, while others without pre-existing conditions experienced unfamiliar mental health issues for the first time.

In 2018, 3.5 million students received mental health counseling resources and care from their schools; many teenagers lost that support due to nationwide school closures in 2020. Beyond school-based resources, the strain on health care resources broadly, and on mental health care resources specifically, has led to mental health care being substantially deficient for much of the population.

Most teens also experienced social isolation while confined to their homes. Major milestones that many teenagers look forward to, such as graduations and proms, were canceled, and in the new, online world, stress and loneliness accrued in many individuals. In April, adolescent medicine physician Polina Krass noted in Psychiatry Advisor that the lack of in-person schooling for children is a distinct aspect of this pandemic. “If you think about natural childhood development, a year is a long time,” Krass said.

Most adolescents have also witnessed the stress of the pandemic on their caregivers, including economic pressure and emotional turmoil, and many have absorbed those feelings. Some have additionally been confined within abusive households due to quarantine requirements. Increased frequency of suicide and attempted suicide have been reported among youth, according to a Februrary 2 NPR article.

The U.S. is beginning to open up: As of May 10, the FDA authorized the use of the Pfizer vaccine for people ages 12 and up, and as of May 28, the CDC updated its public health guidelines for fully vaccinated people, allowing more opportunities for people to return to normal life. But the damage done to many people’s mental health may not heal from this crisis as easily or quickly.

As Aaron M. Hawkins, M.D., wrote in a June Psychiatry Advisor article, “Shifting back to pre-pandemic lifestyles without the opportunity to properly process what has happened over the last 15 months and the grief and pain associated with it can be dangerous.”

As a nation, we experienced collective trauma, and in the process of rebuilding what we lost, we must also recognize how this experience affected us personally and globally to begin healing the mental stress and anxiety that has built up.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), before the pandemic one in five youth and young adults in the U.S. were living with a mental health condition. After a year of worldwide crisis, this number is now estimated at two in five for anxiety, depression, and trauma. Common warning signs that a person may be struggling include a loss of interest in activities they once enjoyed, weight loss or gain, increased fatigue, and more.

If you are concerned about your mental health, NAMI recommends telling your concerns to someone, such as a family member, close friend, teacher, counselor or coach, or faith leader. If you’re not sure how to initiate a conversation, NAMI suggests addressing it directly, such as “I haven’t felt right lately and I don’t know what to do. Can I talk to you about it?” or “I’m having a really hard time lately, will you go with me to see someone?”

With the impact of the pandemic, communication has adapted for virtual settings, such as the increase of telemedicine across the U.S. to connect therapists with patients despite physical restrictions. Now, this option can be further integrated as a health resource, allowing care to reach greater audiences and vulnerable populations.

“The past year has been terribly damaging to our collective mental health. There is no vaccine for mental illness,” said Michelle Williams, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health Dean, adding that “long after we’ve gained control of the virus, the mental health repercussions will likely continue to reverberate.”

Mental well-being will not bounce back automatically as schools and communities reopen. It will take time and proactive measures, including access to mental health providers and resources, new ways of learning and support for students, collaboration with school, community, and parent leaders, and other innovative solutions. We must be patient and not lose focus on this all-important issue for the sake of a whole generation of children and teenagers.