Mental Health in Teens

Teen mental health took a hit at the start of the pandemic. (Read about "Mental Health" "Coronaviruses") A new study found that mental health crises among adolescents worsened with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The two-year study period involved the first pandemic year (March 2020 to February 2021) and the year just prior. During this time, nearly 3,800 children age 4 to 18 were admitted to the emergency department (ED) or inpatient units for mental-health-related reasons. (Read about "Emergency Room") About 80 percent were adolescents age 12 to 18.

In the year before the pandemic, 50 percent of admitted patients had suicidal ideation or had made suicide attempts. (Read about "Suicide Prevention") That jumped to 60 percent during the first pandemic year. The number of patients making actual suicide attempts rose from 236 to 369 - going from 12 percent to 21 percent of all mental health admissions.

Aside from suicidality, mental health admissions increased year over year for depressive disorders (from 63 to 70 percent of admissions), anxiety disorders (from 46 to 51 percent), eating disorders (from 7 to 14 percent), substance-related disorders (7 to 9 percent), and obsessive compulsive related disorders (4 to 6 percent). Admissions rose especially for girls, whose share increased from 56 to 66 percent. (Read about "Depressive Illnesses" "Anxiety" "Eating Disorders" "Obsessive Compulsive Disorder")

COVID-19 placed stress on many families (Read about "Stress"), including cancellation or disruption of sports, proms, and graduation ceremonies, as well as loss of caregivers to the pandemic.

COVID-19 can cause a range of issues, from mild symptoms to severe illness and death. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say symptoms can appear days after exposure and include:

• fever
• cough
• shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• chills
• repeated shaking with chills
• muscle pain
• headache
• sore throat
• new loss of taste or smell
• congestion or runny nose
• nausea or vomiting
• diarrhea

This list does not include all possible symptoms. CDC says it will continue to update this list as it learns more about COVID-19.

If you have any symptoms, do not go into work. Call your healthcare provider for medical advice.

Trouble breathing and /or persistent pain or pressure in the chest indicate an emergency situation and you should seek help. If you or someone around you develops new confusion or inability to arouse that too is a reason to seek care. Bluish lips or face can indicate a low oxygen level and should also be treated as an emergency.

As with other diseases caused by coronaviruses, COVID-19 is believed to spread from person to person through droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

CDC says it is important that people take steps to protect themselves, including:

• Clean your hands often. You should wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. This is especially important is you have been out in public or if you have just sneezed or coughed. If you don't have access to soap and water, hand sanitizers containing at least 60 percent alcohol can be used. Rub hands with the sanitizer until they feel dry.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick
• Put distance between yourself and other people if COVID-19 is spreading in your community. This is especially important for people who are at higher risk of getting very sick.
• Used correctly, masks can reduce the inhalation of virus-laden droplets, which can protect the person wearing the mask. Masks can also reduce the emission of virus-laden droplets, which is important so that asymptomatic people do not infect others.
• As soon as you can, CDC says you should get a COVID-19 vaccine. All of the available vaccines have been tested in clinical trials. (Read about "Clinical Studies") The studies show that the vaccines reduce your risk of contracting COVID-19, and lower the severity of the disease if you do contract it. Contact your healthcare provider or state health department to learn about your vaccine status.

If you have any symptoms, do not go into work. Call your healthcare provider for medical advice.