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KQED's Forum

The Kids Are Not All Right: How The Pandemic Has Intensified Mental Health Problems for Young People

KQED's Forum

KQED

Politics, News, News Commentary

4.6 • 656 Ratings

šŸ—“ļø 4 March 2021

ā±ļø 55 minutes

šŸ§¾ļø Download transcript

Summary

The coronavirus pandemic is taking a major toll on the mental health of children and teenagers, who experts say are reporting increased levels of anxiety and major depression. A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that mental health-related visits to emergency rooms jumped by 24 percent for children ages 5 to 11 and 31 percent for youth ages 12 to 17 years old from April to October in 2020 compared with the same period in 2019. Experts say increased isolation, families facing financial hardships, as well as fears about the pandemic itself are fueling the trends. We talk about how the pandemic has exacerbated existing mental health problems and created new ones for young people. For more mental health resources, visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness and Valley Children's Healthcare list of resources. If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (en español: 1-888-628-9454; deaf and hard of hearing: dial 711, then 1-800-273-8255) or the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:44.6

From KQED Public Radio in San Francisco, I'm Nina Kim.

1:01.2

Coming up on forum, the pandemic is taking a toll on the mental health of children and teenagers.

1:07.4

The CDC finds emergency visits for mental health reasons have spiked more than 30% among teens by more than 20% among children 5 to 11 years old, and surveys show increases in thoughts of suicide among young people.

1:21.6

Increased isolation, family struggling financially, and fears of getting sick are pushing some youth to the brink.

1:29.2

We learn more after this news. This is Forum. I'm Mina Kim.

1:51.0

As the pandemic has reached its one-year marker, more parents and mental health professionals

1:55.5

are hearing from young people or seeing in their behavior that they just can't do this anymore, the isolation, the screen learning, or living under the constant fear of the virus, among other things.

2:06.6

We look this hour at the mental health of children and teens.

2:10.6

Joining me is Ken Barrack, president and CEO of Seneca Family of Agencies, a nonprofit mental health crisis and social services agency for children.

2:19.3

Ken Barrack, thanks so much for joining us.

2:21.3

Thanks for having me. Happy to be here.

2:24.3

Also with us is Dr. Nadia Ward, professor, psychologist and director at the Mosukowski Institute for Public Enterprise at Clark University,

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