It’s no secret that the pandemic has had profound effects on the mental and emotional well-being of our society. Rates of mental health struggles have skyrocketed in response to experiences of isolation, grief and loss, economic hardship, safety fears, and increasing uncertainty about how the future will unfold.

Prior to the pandemic, it was clear we were facing a youth mental health crisis, but the experiences of a pandemic have proved to amplify this already concerning situation. For teenagers, experiencing a pandemic has caused an uptick in mental health concerns during a developmental period that in the best of times is already fraught with stress, self-esteem concerns, and constant change.

These youth have missed out on normative and expected experiences of high school like after-school clubs, dances, sporting events, and graduations.  They’ve received substantially less in-person support from teachers and support staff, clubs and support groups for marginalized identities, and for some kids, tangible support like food assistance and access to supplies.  Without regular contact from professionals trained to notice early signs and symptoms of mental health concerns, many children went without care for significantly longer than they would otherwise, leading to more severe symptoms and potential safety concerns.

The effects of the pandemic disproportionately affected communities of color, amplifying stress for those teenagers. Experiences of racism and discrimination, both those related to and co-occurring with the pandemic, have continued to erode youth mental health.

Ask any teenager or teacher, parent, or mental health therapist who regularly interacts with teens, and they’ll have anecdotal evidence of these increases. Now, nearly 3 years after the pandemic began, we are finally able to collect and analyze data on how teenagers have been affected. Here are a few key points:

37% of high school-aged students reported they experienced poor mental health during the pandemic¹.

44% reported feeling persistently sad or hopeless during this time¹.

Emergency room visits for suicide attempts were 51% higher for female identifying-youth, and 4% higher for male-identifying youth when compared to the same time period prior to the pandemic in 2019 ².

What can we do?

Seeing these statistics can be frightening, especially when they are the result of something beyond our control and related to responses that were critical to maintaining physical safety within our communities, but it does also give us insight into how to begin improving this crisis.

• School

The data, combined with years of anecdotal experience from school staff, has spurred many school districts into action to increase support programs and access to mental and emotional well-being resources. In the same study, school connectedness, defined as “a sense of being cared for, supported, and belonging at school” was a clear protective factor. High school students who felt connected to support at school were 20% less likely to report persistent sadness and hopelessness, 12% less likely to consider suicide, and 6% less likely to attempt. Working to create a safe supportive school environment is a crucial step for all communities.

• Home

Treat your teens with care. The pandemic has affected us all, but teens have experienced a version of difficulty that is nearly impossible for adults to fully comprehend. Make space regularly to talk about how they’ve been affected, and acknowledge how challenging this has been for them without diminishing it in relation to others’ struggles. Support their efforts to maintain relationships and be a safe place to process uncertainty, fear, and sadness.

• Professional Supports

If they aren’t already, now is the time to get your teen connected to a therapist. While the role of a supportive family is paramount, having a specific, private space to process their emotions and fears is vital in helping improve their mental health. A trained professional can offer tailored coping skills, referrals to other providers as needed, and above all, the feeling that their emotional struggle has been seen and heard. Even if your teen has not been showing obvious signs of a mental health struggle, ask them. Many teens cope by keeping things bottled up, and they may not know how to ask for help. Offer to connect them to a therapist regularly, and if or when they say yes, follow through until they find a match.

For their teens to succeed as adults, many parents (and teens) think they must be involved in numerous extracurricular activities. Perhaps we believe this abundance of activities will foster a sense of pride and accomplishment. Perhaps parents are hoping to keep teens out of trouble. For many teens, there is a strong sense of pressure to impress colleges with a robust resume. But is this excessive involvement in activities doing more harm than good?

According to a study published in the journal “Sport, Education, and Society,” the social demands of an extracurricular-heavy schedule are not only placing an unprecedented strain on families, but also potentially harming healthy development and well-being.

The researchers interviewed 50 families of primary-aged children and found that 88% of the kids were involved in extracurricular activities four to five days a week. These activities were the central focus of family life, especially in households with more than one child. As a consequence, families were spending less quality time together and children were exhausted.

A teen might be over-extended if they are experiencing any one (or more) of the following:

• They feel like they are constantly stressed
• They are routinely losing sleep in order to keep up with homework
• They are feeling tired “all the time”
• They are losing motivation to take care of the details of life
• They detach themselves from friends or family
• They experience muscle tension, headaches, or other body signs of stress
• They start to think more negatively about life or school
• The snap in anger at people they care about

The researchers from the journal “Sport, Education, and Society” were quick to warn parents of the potential negative impact of an over-stuffed school schedule: “Raising awareness of this issue can help those parents who feel under pressure to invest in their children’s organized activities, and are concerned with the impact of such activities on their family, to have the confidence to plan a less hectic schedule for their children.”

Working Toward Balance:

In order for extracurricular activities to do more good than harm, teens have to make sure self-care and time with friends/family are prioritized. Here are some ways you can help your teen find a balance:

1. Let Teens be Teens: Make sure there is enough non-structured time for teens unwind, rest, and play. Shoot for one day each week that is relatively unscheduled.
2. Support Their Down Time: Encourage your teen when they want to spend time drawing, reading, writing, listening to music, or engaging in other healthy ways to relax.
3. Model Good Self-Care: It’s important for parents to manage their own stress well. Whether you meditate, go for walks, see a therapist, or read books for self-care, you are modeling powerfully how to slow down, tend to your holistic needs, and keep commitments in check.
4. Talk to Your Teen about Priorities in Decision-Making: Don’t decide which activities stay and which go without your teen’s input. They should be able to help decide the activities that bring them the most benefits and joy.

Nowadays, teens and adults can find themselves juggling way too many responsibilities. It’s important for all of us to slow down, relax, and examine our priorities. If you or your teen are struggling with overcommitment, a counselor on our team might be available to help.

Sources:

https://psychcentral.com/news/2018/05/15/too-many-extracurricular-activities-for-kids-may-do-more-harm-than-good/135388.html

https://psychcentral.com/news/2016/12/01/parents-should-not-put-too-much-pressure-on-kids/113269.html

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/articles/200301/are-we-pushing-our-kids-too-hard