A survey applied to 7,000 students high school in the country, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), revealed that the 50 .1% have experienced emotional abuse; the 44.2% sadness or hopelessness; and 9% attempted suicide.
According to the survey, suffering was presented differently in each group: more women and members of the LGBTQ community saw an increase in suicidal behavior, more Asian children faced racism and hate.
But also more African American and Native American youth experienced hunger and economic devastation; and along with Latinos, experienced increased mental stress from the pandemic in their families and essential worker communities.
During the videoconference “The worsening of mental health in American childrenis”, organized by Ethnic Media Services, a panel of experts explained what is happening and what they can do parents to avoid a new pandemic, that of future adults with serious emotional and mental disorders.
Angela Vásquez, MSW, Director of Mental Health Policy at the Children’s Partnership, said that the mental health crisis we are experiencing has been building since before the pandemic.
“You should know that before covid, almost the 50% of severely affected youth with an episode of major depression, they did not receive treatment for their symptoms.”
He emphasized that African-American and Latino children had approximately one 14% less likely than white youth to receive treatment for their depression, even though they had the same tendency to be depressed.
“Across all races, high school girls, more than boys, have shown a greater tendency to suicide.”
This – he said – means that Latino and African-American girls are twice as likely to attempt suicide than Latino and African-American boys.
“And more than half of Latina girls are worried that a friend or family member be deported”.
He added that a report from Children’s Partnership toshowed that children of undocumented parents two are at risk of behavioral problems.
“Police violence, including that exerted by migration, contributes to toxic stress.”
What can we do in the face of this crisis
“We need to focus on reducing and mitigating negative experiences, and promoting mental health in young people through school services.”
He added that it is especially important to employ affirmative cultural strategies such as civic engagement among Latino and African American youth.
“We have found that young people who participate in protests experience a marked reduction in suicide in those communities. So it’s important to connect them with the community and the opportunities.”
How mental health worsened
Pediatrician Dr. Ilan Shapiro, director of medical affairs for AltaMed in Los Angeles, said the depression and anxiety among minors are real.
“Our children face many physical and health barriers”.
He gave the example of one of his patients, who began to complain of pain in the stomach and in the head.
“Little by little, he began to lose weight. The reality was that he had lost three close relatives during the pandemic, and he was going through a horrible depression”.
Sadly – he said – this is not an isolated story but a trend in which they have seen developmental problems.
“Children are often begging for help. They don’t have all the tools and equipment to deal with this”.
Exposed that obesity and addictions are the ramifications of this crisis.
Therefore, highlighted that we need to make sure we create structural changes and give resources to children, teachers and families to empower communities and have a healthy future.
We must go to the youth where the challenges are happening instead of waiting onour clinic, says Dr. Myo Thwin Myint. (Getty Images)
Dr. Myo Thwin Myint, assistant professor of psychiatry at the college of Medicine at Tulane University, added that we need to think very creatively about how we are going to provide care and information.
“Whatever the challenges, the family must empower itself, learning where and how to seek help to differentiate a stressful situation from a young person with a serious mental illness that requires the attention of a pediatrician or a pediatric clinic”.
Regretted that in many places there is a shortage of workforce and there are no child psychiatrists.
“In most places there are none”.
Dr. Myint recommended visiting the page from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry with resources to meet any emotional well-being challenge for youth and families in multiple languages.
He added that for young people from the LGBTQ community, who already face rejection from their families, it is very difficult when they encounter health service providers who do not accept and understand them.
“They feel very isolated and that can lead to depression and suicide”.
Sydney McKinney, director of the National Institute of Justice for African American Women in Brooklyn, New York said between 2001 and 1748, mortality rates among African-American adolescents increased 182%.
As a consequence, toaddressing the mental health and well-being of African American women and girls is really vital to reduce your risk of coming into contact with the juvenile criminal system.
But he also mentioned that almost 2 million young people are arrested by the police each year.
In relation to young African Americans in detention, 4 out of every 5 girls have been diagnosed with a mental health need, and the 43% of all young women detained , are African American.
“The pandemic has exacerbated the mental health needs of African American girls and has also created new health challenges for youth in foster care.”