Child and adolescent mental health has been a concern for many years, and the COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted and exacerbated the challenges our youth and families are facing.

Prior to the Pandemic:

According to data from the University of Virginia School of Medicine, children and adolescents were facing significant mental health challenges prior to the COVID 19 pandemic.

• As many as 1 in 5 children and adolescents were suffering from a mental health disorder
• Approximately 80 percent of children who needed mental health care did not receive it.
• From 2016-2019, children’s hospital visits by 6-12 year olds for mental health care needs doubled
• There was a 60 percent increase in the rate of suicide for youth ages 10-24 from 2007 to 2018.

Immediately Following the Pandemic:

According to children’s mental health data from the American Academy of Pediatrics:

• Nearly 20% of children aged 3-17 years have a mental, emotional, and behavioral disorder.
• Among children aged 3-17 years: (Center for Disease Control Data)
  • The rate of ever being diagnosed with anxiety concerns increased from 8.4% in 2016 to 11.1% in 2021
  • The rate of ever being diagnosed with depression increased from 4.2% in 2016 to 5.4% in 2021
• Suicide is reported as a leading cause of death among children and adolescents ages 10- 24 years
• Treatment barriers and disparities persist.
  • Among adolescents 12-17, 20% reported having unmet mental health care needs.

In a recent study by the Child Mind Institute, parents and children were surveyed and shared their perspectives on stressors on youth mental health. Not only did parents and children share in their concerns on loneliness and social isolation, but they also joined in expressing concerns about the negative impacts of social media on mental health, academic productivity and self - esteem. These findings are also consistent with the U.S. Surgeon General’s Report, Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Social Isolation. Increased feelings of loneliness and social isolation have had significant impacts on positive health outcomes and educational achievement.

Social Connections represent our relationships and interactions with family, friends and community to create social connections.

Students may be lacking adequate social connections, which contributes to increased feelings of loneliness and social isolation.

The greatest decline in social connection is within the 15 to 24 age group.

Groups with the highest prevalence for loneliness and social isolation are:

• Individuals with poor physical health or mental health
• Individuals with disabilities
• Individuals with financial insecurity
• Individuals from ethnic and racial minority groups
• Individuals who identify as LGBTQ+
• Individuals who experience discrimination or marginalization

• Percentage of teens age 13 to 17 report who say that they are online “almost constantly” has doubled since 2015
• 95% of teens age 13 to 17 report using social media in 2022 with more than half reporting it would be hard to give up social media

Benefits of Technology:

• Foster connection by providing opportunities to stay in touch with friends and family
• Offering other routes for social participation for those with disabilities
• Creating opportunities to find community, especially for those from marginalized groups
• Online support groups allow individuals to share their personal experiences and to seek, receive, and provide social support

Harmful Effects of Technology:

• Displaces in-person engagement
• Monopolizes our attention
• Reduces the quality of our interactions
  • Increased distraction, reduced conversation quality, lowered self reported enjoyment of the time spent together in person
• Diminishes self esteem
  • Leads to greater loneliness, fear of missing out, conflict and reduced social connection

Educational Impacts

• Children and adolescents who enjoy positive relationships with their peers, parents, and teachers experience improved academic outcomes.
• School and family connectedness during adolescent years may predict subsequent positive outcomes in early adulthood, including a higher likelihood of graduating college and attaining a 4-year college degree

Coping with Stress

• Higher Social Connection provides increased opportunities for and access to support
  • This may reduce the likelihood of perceiving challenging situations as stressful and helps to cope with stressful situations to minimize their impact.
• Being isolated or in poor quality relationships can increase the likelihood that one perceives potential challenges as stressful.
  • Stress may be heightened because the individual has less support and fewer resources to cope with the situation.

Depression and Anxiety

• Loneliness and Social Isolation among children and adolescents increases the risk of depression and anxiety
  • This risk remained high even after nine years
• Social Connection seemed to protect against depression, even in individuals with a higher probability of developing the condition
  • Frequently confiding in others is associated with up to 15% reduced odds of developing depression among people at higher risk due to their history of traumatic experiences or adverse life experiences.

Suicidality and Self Harm

• Loneliness, Social Isolation and Low Social Support were associated with suicidal ideation
  • This may be due to low sense of belonging and percieving oneself as a burden to others
• Loneliness and Low Social Support are also associated with increased risk of self harm
  • Social Connection may be one of the strongest protective factors against Self Harm and Suicide among individuals with and without serious underlying mental health challenges.