Mental health: Youth hurting as pandemic drags on
During this time of COVID-19, youth are struggling even more with mental health as they are isolated, navigating remote learning for school, and have lost opportunities to express themselves in arts, sports and overall socialization.
In Pierce County we are seeing a shortage of mental health resources or agencies having wait lists, resulting in kids not being able to access care in a timely manner. This is especially pressing for youth who live in rural areas where transportation is lacking, have insurance issues, or have cultural or language barriers.
We are seeing more hospitalizations, self-harm, depressed moods and overall stressors impacting kids with existing anxiety like never before.
We are all struggling with 2020 in one way or another, and the importance of being aware that some are struggling on deeper levels is key in supporting each other during this time.
Alisa M. Feliciano, Tacoma
(Feliciano is a child and adolescent mental health clinician and a master’s in social work student at the University of Washington Tacoma.)
This story was originally published December 10, 2020 at 12:24 PM with the headline "Mental health: Youth hurting as pandemic drags on."