Quarantine takes A toll on teen mental health

By Janna Ross

Since the beginning of the year 2020, everything about regular life has spiraled out of control, largely due to COVID 19. For teenagers in high school, March 13 was the day of lasts: last time walking in the hallways; last day of joking around with your teachers; last music class, gym class, math class. 

No one foresaw what our lives were going to look like for the next nine months. Isolated and alone with little to keep them motivated, children and teenagers face health issues never before experienced, and their health in 2020 has deteriorated mentally, academically, and emotionally.

The period of growth in an adolescent brain is as important as it is for a toddler. According to the World Health Organization, “Adolescence is a period of life with specific health and developmental needs and rights. It is also a time to develop knowledge and skills, learn to manage emotions and relationships, and acquire attributes and abilities that will be important for enjoying the adolescent years and assuming adult roles.”

 It is vital for a teenager to have social interaction and experiences to grow and learn.  New policies to protect the physical health of the populace have been put in place by local and national officials have limited those opportunities to interact socially, which causes fear and anxiety in teens, threatening their mental and emotional health. 

Being separated from the outside world has proven to be stressful for everyone, but especially for teens. The Department of Psychiatry at Penn State College reports, “Since isolation and quarantine from the loved ones is the norm of the current world situation, it can often precipitate depression and anxiety, and [young adults] often feel they are being ripped off their purpose of living.” For teens, being kept within the confines of home can increase stress and feelings of uncertainty.

One of the bigger changes teenagers had to cope with was transitioning from in-person to virtual school. Keeping teenagers locked up in their rooms, staring at a screen for over eight hours a day can be harmful on the brain. Nicole Beurkens with Qustodio writes, “Increased use of screen-based media can lead to white matter changes in the brain that negatively impact the development of language and literacy skills in young children. This means that overuse of digital media can actually change the physical structure of the brain in ways that can cause problems for development and learning across many areas.” 

All this time on screens is overwhelming for students, while parents are noticing these patterns in their children as well. Kimberly Gunn, a mother of an active and involved senior at East said, “My daughter seems to be less motivated when it comes to schoolwork. She has become more introverted and less outgoing.” Seeing these changes in children should be a warning sign. Students that were once successful in their studies are falling short and not putting forth the same effort as they would have in prior years. 

Although high schoolers are going through their own difficult time, children of younger grades are also experiencing different challenges. An article written by Sarah D. Sparks dives into the mental changes of children and adolescents: “We often underestimate the severity of children’s mental health problems. Children as young as nine report thinking of killing themselves, she found, and one in ten said they purposely cut, pinched, or burned themselves even when they weren’t suicidal. Overwhelmingly, the parents and teachers around them didn’t know about their suicidal ideas or self-harm.” 

Over 85 percent of the parents noticed a change in their child’s behavior.

Psychiatric Times

Experts are having trouble understanding what the “typical reaction” to self isolation would have on children, but it is clear that they need emotional support from their families, as well as from their friends and teachers in school. A study published by Psychiatric Times assessed 1,143 parents of students ages three to 18. Over 85 percent of the parents noticed a change in their child’s behavior. According to the study, “The most frequently observed changes were difficulty concentrating (76.6%), boredom (52%), irritability (39%), restlessness (38.8%), nervousness (38%), loneliness (31.3%), uneasiness (30.4%), and worries (30.1%).” This evidence suggests kids and teenagers alike are struggling in their academics and social lives. 

2020 has taken its toll on teenagers and children mentally, academically, and emotionally. It is clear that these times are unprecedented, and even experts are struggling to find solutions. The best thing to do for those who are dealing with these mental health challenges is to be willing to connect with them socially and show them understanding.

Feature image “Lets talk about mental health”  published by The People Speak is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0