TOWSON, Md. — On this road to recovery, the pandemic has some teens not acting like themselves.
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Parents should be aware of what changes in your child's behavior to look for and when to be concerned.
Most kids have gone back to school but this school year is far from normal.
The stress and anxiety brought on by many changes happening during the pandemic have some young people feeling more distressed than usual.
Going back to school in 2020 for many kids means most schools are closed, and many after school activities are canceled.
Sheppard Pratt outpatient services medical director Dr. Deepak Prabhakar said “with teens, especially with the disruptions that are happening around us during the pandemic, is causing more anxiety, more isolation. One thing that we know is that isolation is never a good thing for teenagers, more so during a pandemic.”
Dr. Prabhakar calls recent data from the CDC about young people “a pandemic within the pandemic.”
“One in four individuals between 18 and 24 are reporting serious thoughts of suicide. About one in four is also reporting either worsening or initiating new substance use. Three out of four are currently reporting signs of mental health related issues, and two out of three are reporting serious anxiety and depression,” Prabhakar said.
The teenage years can be tough enough but during COVID-19 they become even more complicated.
When you take these three things together, disruption in school schedule, disruption in their social activities, isolation from others, their peer support network, all of these things are leading to higher anxiety, and being relatively unsure about what's next,” Prabhakar said.
Parents with moody teens may wonder how much moodiness is relatively normal and when should it be a cause for concern.
“When we start seeing enduring depression, enduring anxiety, aggression, not just for several hours a day but several days a week and then several weeks a month at that point, we probably need to pause and ask ourselves maybe this is something else that we are observing in front of us,” Prabhakar said.
A change in attitude and a change in behavior also may be cries for help.
“Total isolation, staying in bed way too long, straight out coming out and saying that they are having thoughts of harming themselves sometimes in person, sometimes broadcasting these thoughts on social media,” Prabhakar said.
Seeing any or all of these signs in your teen could leave some parents confused, overwhelmed, and wondering what to do or how to help.
“As parents we should take each and every thing fairly seriously when a teenager comes to us, it takes a lot of courage for a teenager to actually ask for help, and then we should seek professional help,” Prabhakar said.
Dr. Prabhakar urges parents to call 911 if your teen seems as though they could hurt themselves or someone else.
“There is no downside in seeking professional help. When a parent feels that this is above and beyond their normal behavior, or the teen is manifesting right now, and if that's the case, seeking professional help immediately is really key here,” Prabhakar said.
Sheppard Pratt offers in-person crisis clinic servicesbut in the age of COVID-19, it also offers a virtual urgent care walk-in clinicwith online therapists and clinicians.
