Mental Health in School-Aged Children: How to Prepare Your Adolescent for the New School Year
More than ever, school-aged children need the support of their families and communities.
Since 2020, what is considered the “new normal” has been a source of constant debate.
Are classes fully remote or in person?
Do they attend remote classes only during an outbreak?
Are masks required?
If not, will they be in the future?
This constant state of change has caused an upheaval in the mental health of American youth.
COVID-19 pandemic aside, the change from the freedom of summer to the structured environment of the school season brings the following challenges:
School rules
Sleep, homework, and exercise routines
Face-to-face social interactions
Coping strategies
Time constraints
Seeking out help
Our children look to their adult influences for cues on how to react during times of uncertainty and stress. And, as one with such influence, one of the best ways you can support a struggling child in your life is to validate their feelings and show them empathy without judgment, criticism, or comparison.
Statistics
Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, most school-aged children experienced some form of anxiety, depression, or frustration as their summers came to a close.
But now, in addition to the usual feelings of uncertainty and confusion, kids have been thrown into a state of chaos that even most adults don’t know how to handle.
In a study conducted by Mental Health America (MHA), of over 600,000 youth surveyed, 82 percent showed signs or symptoms that put them at risk of mental illness. Moreover, with just under 4000 youth questioned in a depression assessment, 56 percent reported experiencing suicidal ideations.
This should come as no surprise, as it is estimated that over 150,000 minors lost a caregiver to COVID within the first 15 months of the pandemic occurring. (Reference 1)
Warning Signs in School-Aged Children
Parents, guardians, and even teachers typically know and understand what is usual behavior for a certain child. Exhibiting persistent warning signs outside of their normal behavior might be indicative of unwellness in their mental state.
Preschool & Early Elementary (PreK - 3rd Grade)
Difficulty separating from their parent
Excessive fear, worry, or crying
An uptick in temper tantrums
Aggressive behavior or extreme disobedience
Difficulty sleeping and/or frequent nightmares
Hyperactivity that goes beyond the normal
Trouble following a schedule or routine
Grade School (4th - 8th Grade)
Excessive fear, worry, or crying— especially as it pertains to news-worthy events
Hyperactivity that goes beyond the normal
Loss of interest in things that used to bring joy (i.e., friends and activities)
Decrease in school grades and performance
Changes in sleep patterns
Seeing and/or hearing things that are not there
Prolonged sadness
Excessive worry about physical appearance
Loss of appetite
Teen Years (9th - 12th Grade)
Withdrawal from family and friends
Running away or threatening to do so
Destructive behavior
Risky behaviors
Substance use or abuse
Suicidal Ideations
Some signs can be normal, adolescent behavior. However, it goes back to what we mentioned earlier — what’s normal for your child?
Withdrawal and social isolation
Extreme changes in behavior
Substance abuse
Persistent negative mood and/or irritability
Changes in sleep and eating patterns
Expressing hopelessness and/or overwhelm
Giving away possessions
Talking about or writing mentions of wanting to die
The key to prevention is to understand your community resources so you can find your child the help they need right away.
You can also visit suicidepreventionlifeline.com or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255). (Reference 2)
How to Support Your Child as They Go Back to School
The emotions your child may feel as they go back to school can come with a wide array of complications, depending on individual personalities and other determining factors.
Remember: Children are sensitive and take their emotional cues from the adults that surround them— including parents, extended relatives, and teachers. It is important to take precautions for yourself so that you are able to keep calm and remain in check so as to not unintentionally cause fear and anxiety in those around you.
Below are three tips to help navigate and support your youth as they start a new school year:
1. Hear Them Out & Use Positive Reinforcement
Begin with having an open conversation free from judgment or criticism. Allow your child to speak openly without interruption. Use reassuring words to help ease any anxious feelings and reinforce the positives, such as extracurricular activities and social gatherings.
2. Address Fear of Isolation & Bullying
The start of a new school year can bring surprises. Close friends from before may have found a new group to hang around, leaving your child to feel isolated. It is natural to feel left out and judged if this happens.
Remind your child that stigmatizations and bullying—although wrong in nature—is a natural part of growing up. You should also feel free to share experiences of your own.
On the flip side, let them know that even if they do not experience it themselves, no one should ever have to go through the pain and heartache that bullying causes, and they should be the bigger person and speak up to a trusted adult.
Check in with your child daily and gauge their responses carefully.
3. COVID Precautions
Some children have a fear of the pandemic and wish to use personal protective equipment (PPE), while others are highly uncomfortable with wearing PPE.
Remind your child that everyone is doing their part to keep one another safe, even if it does seem inconvenient or even intrusive. Sometimes it is beneficial to keep in the front of their minds the fact that it helps other people, such as the elderly (like their grandparents) or someone who is chronically ill.
Helping them to remember that—even though COVID may not seriously affect them individually—the virus could be seriously dangerous to those that they love. This may allow them to feel better about being uncomfortable wearing a mask. (Reference 3)
MHT for School-Aged Children
One-third of the country’s youth will meet the criteria for an anxiety disorder by the time they turn 18.
Our innovative technology provides adolescents with a simple screening questionnaire that is designed to accurately support physicians throughout diagnosis, treatment, and subsequent follow-ups with their patients.
We understand that it takes a village to raise a child, which is why—with parents' consent—we have designed our platform to automatically share results with guardians, teachers, and other referring professionals so everyone has accurate information promptly in order to best serve the mental health of each child involved.
If your pediatric medical office is ready to learn more about how we can help your patients, please contact one of our knowledgeable staff members today.
We look forward to speaking with you soon.
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