Parents Fear Mental Health Consequences of COVID

One of parents top worries with their children are mental health concerns. Credit:Jordan Whitt, Unsplash

Trigger Warning: Mentions of self-harm, suicide, eating disorders

In the midst of the COVID pandemic, parents in the United States are increasingly worried about their children’s mental health. According to a Pew Research Center survey from January, 76% of U.S. parents with children under 18 are worried that their children might struggle with anxiety or depression at some point.

“Our youth have been particularly impacted as losses from COVID and disruptions in routines and relationships have led to increased social isolation, anxiety and learning loss,” the Biden-Harris administration wrote in a 2022 fact sheet. 

The Pew Research poll showed that parents are more worried about their children struggling with their mental health or getting bullied than they are about their children being kidnapped, shot or having a drug and alcohol problem. Teen pregnancy and getting in trouble with the police were at the bottom of the list for parental concerns. 

The U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy announced a public health advisory on youth mental health in 2021. It was reported that symptoms of depression and anxiety among the youth have doubled worldwide since the pandemic began. Murthy criticized social media as a contributing factor to children’s mental health concerns.  

“Young people are bombarded with messages through the media and popular culture that erode their sense of self-worth — telling them they are not good-looking enough, popular enough, smart enough or rich enough,” Dr. Murthy wrote in the report.

President Joe Biden made similar statements to Dr. Murthy during his 2021 State of the Union address. He spoke about the dangers of social media and called on Congress to strengthen its privacy protections, ban targeted ads toward children and protect the personal data of children. 

“This youth mental health crisis has been accentuated by large social media platforms, which for years have been conducting a national experiment on our children and using their data to keep them clicking — with enormous consequences,” the Biden-Harris administration wrote in a 2022 fact sheet. 

Although data is still being collected on the impact the pandemic is having on children, there is evidence that children’s mental health is declining. A 2022 CDC report found that weekly visits at the pediatrician's office regarding psychosocial concerns increased during 2020, 2021 and 2022 when compared to 2019. Among older children (5–11) and teens (12–17), doctors saw more patients for self-harm, drug poisoning and other mental health concerns.

There is also a noticeable gender gap in children struggling with mental health concerns, and young girls seem to be at the forefront of this crisis. In the United States alone, emergency room visits for suicide attempts rose 51 percent for adolescent girls in 2021 compared to 2019. For boys, the figure rose by four percent as reported in the public health advisory. 

According to CDC data, adolescent girls also had a higher increase than adolescent boys in doctor visits related to mental health concerns. Among females aged 12–17 years, weekly visits to the pediatrician increased during 2022 for anxiety, trauma, eating disorders, tic disorders and OCD. 

In addition to young females, the public health advisory states that certain young populations are more susceptible to mental health challenges during the pandemic. Specifically, racial and ethnic youth, LGBTQ+ youth, low-income youth, youth living in rural areas and youth living in immigrant households. 

Parents are experiencing the increasing mental health crisis among the youth population firsthand. The Pew survey found that 88 percent said being a parent is harder than they expected. While parents can’t stop their children from having mental health struggles, there are steps they can take to mitigate the concerns. 

In order to properly support children, it’s important that parents take care of their own mental and physical health. Dr. Murthy also suggests in the public health advisory that parents create a stable environment, minimize negative influences in their children’s lives, ensure their child has regular check-ins at the doctor and be attentive to how much time their children are spending on technology. 

“Young people often learn behaviors and habits from what they see around them,” Dr. Murthy wrote. “You can model good habits by talking to children about the importance of mental health, seeking help when you need it and showing positive ways you deal with stress so children learn from you.”