A new survey from the CDC revealed the effects of the COVID pandemic and lockdowns on children's mental health.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a new survey shedding light on the real effects of the COVID pandemic and its subsequent lockdowns on the mental health of children and adolescents. The results showed that 40% of teens felt "sad or hopeless" and one-fifth comtemplated suicide.
According to the Christian Post, 44% of students in ninth through 12th grades felt persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. The CDC study, which was conducted from January to June of 2021, found that 19.9% of youngsters seriously considered attempting suicide, with 9% attempting suicide during the COVID pandemic lockdowns while schools were closed in 2020.
The CDC study also found that more than 37% of students experienced poor mental health. The reason behind it being the lack of community and distance from friends, which negatively impacted the students for whom virtual learning was a "poor substitute" for maintaining close friendships.
Meanwhile, over 45% of students admitted they suffered negative effects of the COVID lockdowns on their mental health because they were unable to stay connected with friends as they normally would if they attended in-person classes. Only 28.4% of surveyed students who said they still feel they maintained close friendships without seeing friends face to face also said that they experienced poor mental health.
More than half or 52.9% of students who no longer felt close to friends also reported "persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness" compared to 35.4% of youth who said they continued to feel close to school friends despite the COVID lockdowns and closed schools due to the pandemic. Moreover, one fourth or 25.6% of students who did not feel close to their friends seriously considered attempting suicide.
However, the portion decreased to 14% among those who said they were able to sufficiently maintain friendships despite the COVID lockdowns. Among those who said so, the number of youth of those who attempted suicide dropped from 11.9% to 5.8%.
The study noted that the same pattern was observed among youth who were "virtually connected" to their family, friends, or other groups during the COVID pandemic through the use of a computer, telephone, or other device, compared to those who were not. The CDC study said, "Comprehensive strategies that improve feelings of connectedness with others in the family, in the community, and at school might foster improved mental health among youths during and after the COVID-19 pandemic."
COVID pandemic lockdowns also provided a venue for teenagers to be insulted, put down, or verbally or emotionally abused by a parent or other adult family members during the height of the pandemic. NBC News reported that more than half or 55% said they received verbal insults and curses from an adult at home during the COVID lockdowns, while more than 11% reported having been a victim of physical abuse.
"These data echo a cry for help. The COVID-19 pandemic has created traumatic stressors that have the potential to further erode students' mental wellbeing," CDC's acting principal deputy director Dr. Debra Houry said in a statement.
CDC's Division of Adolescent and School Health director Kathleen Either added that the results of the survey showed "the degree to which families were experiencing stress" during the COVID pandemic. She remarked, "Our data make it clear that young people experienced significant disruption and adversity during the pandemic and are experiencing a mental health crisis."
